Internal Combustion
by Chinry
Summary: Rosy little Amy knows it's time to grow some thorns and take her place in the world. Will it be in HIS world too? Time to be the hedgehog she always wanted to be. Sonamy, Shadamy...because I'm greedy.
1. To Lose Snooze

So here I go again, fanfiction writing. It's been so many years since I was doing it with heart felt passion, and I suppose the desire has crept up to a level I can no longer repress.

Watching Boom reminded me how much I used to love Sonamy. I've gone back to watching X and playing my games to really put myself in the right frame of mind, and once I started typing I couldn't stop. Initially I was going to keep this to myself, but I used to enjoy the community here at Fanfiction so here it is. I have a vague idea where this is heading, but it's developing as I go. Join me or don't, it's all for fun.

* * *

"I already had to get out of bed, now you're asking me to get up again?"

"You know, for the fastest thing alive you are an expert at being very still"

"Bursts of energy. No point in burning vital resources on a game I know I'll win," he sighed, arms stretching above his head, "I was also up late, I've earned a lazy day."

Shrugging, she picked up the volley ball from by his hammock, "Suit yourself. I'll get Zooey to play instead."

He snorted an acknowledgement, but kept his eyes closed until he could hear her footsteps retreating. Slowly he opened one eyelid just enough to watch her walk away, his focus trained on that fantastic little rump sashaying toward the volleyball net. The ball was casually balanced against her hip as she flattered her rosy quills with the other hand. Amy had perfected the art of playing it cool and it both fascinated and frustrated him. It was entirely her fault he had been awake so long and here she was acting completely devoid of all guilt.

"Not joining in?"

Sonic nearly jumped out of his skin, "Tails! What are you sneaking around like that for?"

"I wasn't sneaking, YOU weren't paying attention."

"Paying attention to foxes sneaking up on people?!"

"Okay okay," Tails replied, putting his hands up in protest, "why are you all on edge?"

Sonic turned to his oldest friend and did his best poker face, "I'm not on edge, just sleepy, caught off guard, too relaxed to noticed approaching danger."

Tails crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave Sonic a quizzical look. Sonic had never been the best liar, and over the years Tails had become even more aware of the little signals the blue hedgehog gave off to indicate he was hiding something.

"Were you eyeing her up?"

Sonic froze, "Wh..who?"

Tails pointed his nose in the direction of the girls, "You know very well who."

"Mmmm no I don't, not..a...cluuuuuue."

Tails, the fox equivalent of a helicopter, carefully flew up until he hovered over the now guilty looking party, "She may not be officially my girl, but that is my girl."

Sonic whipped his head back around to the volleyball game in progress and saw that Amy had managed to get Zooey to join in. He repressed the audible sigh of relief and put his hands back behind his head, not realising he was using them to try and shield himself from Tails' accusing glare.

"All yours buddy, I wouldn't stand in the way. Not that she isn't cute, I mean if I were a fox I might...wait no I'm joking!"

With a groan befitting that of Amy, Tails put down the drink he had scooped up and was hovering over Sonics head, and set it and himself back on terra firma. He gave Sonic one quick, wary backward glance before trotting off to get a little closer to the action.

Sonic took the opportunity to scrutinize the game a little closer again, under the guise of watching his buddy join the team. Had his mind been as fast as his feet (and his wit, as far as he was concerned) he might have suggested to Tails his interest had been in the twins, Perci and Staci. Identical in look, they were both striking, tall, sultry and above all else, identical twins. Sonic had fallen over himself on more than one occasion to show off in front of them, and Tails was old enough now to understand the perverted thoughts that many red blooded male had experienced over the two of them. Or in the case of Knuckles, perverted 'out loud' thoughts.

What Tails couldn't know was that Sonics attention was almost exclusively taken up by one certain pink hedgehog. It wasn't like he was a complete idiot, he had noticed her growing more, to put it politely, curvy over the past few years. Puberty had fully bloomed this rose, and though she had always smelled sweet she now also came with thorns.

When they were younger he had assumed she had a crush on him, in much a way he assumed most of the women of the village did. He had always cared for her and his jealousy was evident if she ever looked elsewhere, but he wasn't great at adapting his emotions to the situations presented to him. Whenever it came up that she might like him as more than a friend, he bolted. Literally. He would face any robot or fiend or Egghead on any day, but 'feelings' coated him in ice and he did his best to avoid them. Now out of his teens, not much had changed in that department, but Amy Rose had changed quite a bit.

As she walked away from him, Amy felt sure she could feel his green eyes focussed on her. As she strolled she swayed her hips a little more than was natural, and leant the ball against her hip to make sure he clocked her waist too. These little public torments were her power play, knowing full well that while she was able to suppress all signs of desire, Sonic was not nearly as subtle. A delightful little shiver ran up her spine as she remembered the night before, but who was to know the smirk across her face was anything other than cheerful little Amy.


	2. Paging Dr Love

I wrote this chapter at the same time as the previous one, but I've read it through a few times and changed little bits here and there. Though there is nothing very crude buried in it you can hopefully see why I've already added the Mature filter.

I am trying to stay in character, but as I don't want to add too many OC's I may have taken some poetic license. The Boom characters canon ages seem off to how they speak/act, so although this is based around them being older, I've put Sticks and Tails at a few years younger than Amy.

* * *

The day Staci had suggested she was a push over had been the final straw for Amy. After she had thrown her hammer around at empty air for hours she had still felt rage eating away at her gut, and called in on Sticks. Through Sticks insanity were moments of complete clarity, and she had suggested they vanish in to the wilderness for a few days. The first few hours were full of Sticks new conspiracy theories and ramblings about the 'man' until they came to a clearing and she began to build a fire.

"Do you think you're a push over?' she had asked Amy, in her croaky but high pitched voice.

Amy had sat down near the badger and considered the question thoroughly. "No," she had finally answered.

"So why did it get to you? Usually you would have just called her a hussy and walked away."

"I don't really know, I don't care what she thinks but the guys were there and none of them corrected her. I thought I always put up a strong front so when Sonic..."

"Oooooh here we go."

Amy let her mouth hang open for a couple of seconds after Sticks had so abruptly interrupted her. She slowly clenched her teeth together and sucked in a breath harshly, but she never got to vocalise her anger.

"Amy for as long as I've known you've had a different set of rules for Sonic. You blush around him more, you stumble around him more, on more than one occasion you giggle rather than speak. I thought you were being hypnotized in your sleep by the Black Magic Black Badger of the Black Forest..."

"That's a lot of black..."

"...but then I realized he only appears on a harvest moon, and you were getting crazier by the week. No, there was only one reasonable explanation. Love."

This time, Amy did manage to make a noise, "Bull...!"

"Where?"

"No Sticks, as in...oh never mind. Of all your crazy theories that is THE most far fetched."

Sticks smiled at her and raised an eyebrow, "I was right about that robot uprising. And I'm right about this."

Amy just glared at her for a moment before deciding what to say. Of course she acted differently around Sonic, nobody else was nearly as aggravating as he was. She loved to prove him wrong as much as he loved to be right so they often clashed. Arguments would often end up in the pair of them face to face, eyes seeing red, teeth bared and fists at the ready. Not that he would ever strike her, even though she may have hit him on the odd occasion.

"I am not in love with Sonic, Sticks, simple as that. If, as you so claim, I am different around him it's probably because he's a walking disaster and he is far too arrogant to accept he brings disaster on himself so we are always in danger... "

"Danger? Until the alien invaders rise up from their secret underground bunker you know he can save you from pretty much any danger. You can save yourself too but you seem to like him swooping in and being the hero. Looking for reasons to be in his arms eh?"

"Like you never do that with Knuckles?"

"Hey the guy is hot but he is clearly under mind manipulation. I have no weapons to rescue him from that."

"I think you could bring him round."

There was a silence that followed, then both girls fell about with raucous laughter. Since they had settled themselves down they set up their tents where they were. A few s'mores later they were both under blankets, Amy's a beautiful crochet net work of flowers, and Sticks had actual flowers.

"For what it's worth, I do think Sonic likes you. He's pretty guarded but you can tell something is on his mind when he thinks nobody else is looking. We all love each other as that's what close friends do, but we all know you two got something special."

At this Amy blushed profusely. Okay so maybe she wasn't mad at Sonic all the time, he wasn't always as reckless as he once had been. He had saved her on more than one occasion and perhaps she had a slight thrill from being held closely to him. He was really, really good looking.

"Say you're right Sticks. Say, I am in... I have...feelings towards Sonic. What does that have to do with me not wanting him to think I'm a pushover."

The chestnut badger stared deeply in to the fire. She was prone to being brash and uncouth, but she knows what she had to say was only going to end up hurting her friend. She had debated bringing it up before, keeping it to herself in the hopes the hedgehogs would come around to it themselves. She knew everybody thought she was a nut case and she didn't care, but she didn't want that reputation to precede her when it came to Amy, especially when Amy was the most mature about emotions out of all of them.

"So he can't take advantage of you. The right wink in your direction and you'd do whatever he wanted. The Black Badger may use his Black Magic flute to hypnotise his victims but all Sonic would have to do is flash his..."

"STOP!"

"...grin."

"Oh," Amy sighed, embarrassed, "I knew you were going to say that."

Sticks pointed a finger at her, "See, your mind is easily manipulated. Hormones have stronger control than what the government is putting in the water."

Amy flushed red, out of anger and out of humiliation. She wanted to explain so much but her head couldn't process well enough to form a coherent thought. Did she believe Sonic would take advantage of her like that? What would he take advantage of even if he could? She already helped him out whenever he needed her to and she was on call for most emergencies and the only time he crossed a line was when he asked her to try to set him up on a date with one of the twins (or both, he had added).

She stood her ground then, and she had often, but she closed her eyes and thought deeply all the same to see if she had given away a weakness. Even on the odd occasion she had felt flustered around him she could snap out of it within a few moments. Her glance may have lingered a little too long on his back as he dashed their enemies but it wasn't like that was his fault.

"Oh come on, that idiotic blue hedgehog isn't bright enough to use emotions to his advantage. Snap out of it!"

Both girls had weapons poised in a flash. Sticks, who was more accustomed to the dark, threw her boomerang in to the blackness, and the exclaim of pain that followed would indicate she had hit her target.

"Eggman! What are you doing here?!"

He strolled in to the clearing, rubbing the bruise on his head, "Getting beaten up for no reason is what!"

"Don't play innocent with us. Are you here to take over the village with a sneak attack? Destroying the forest to make more room for your robot factory? Harvesting the rare Shyberries to make a diabolical jelly that is so addictive we can't help but buy jar after jar until there is no room in our cupboards!"

"...how do you get by day to day? No I was just wandering the forest at night, as I like to sometimes do for no creepy reasons, when I couldn't help but over hear part of yours and Amy's conversation."

Amy groaned, "Which part of it?"

"All of it."

She raised her hammer high "I'm going to have to kill you."

Covering his head and squealing loudly, Eggman was prepared for this, "I wasn't going to tell him anything! We're Fuzzy Puppy buddies remember Amy? Through thick and thin when I'm not trying to destroy you. I can help you!"

Amy shared a glance with Sticks, "Help me? How do you plan to do that?"

"Why, with some adult to adult conversation!"

"I'm fifteen."

"Even better, the same age Sonic was when we had 'the talk'"

Amy looked dubiously at Dr Eggman, then at Sticks who seemed to read her mind. "I'll go sniff out some of those Shyberries," she said, pocketing her boomerang and giving Eggman once last filthy look, "but I will not be going too far."

As they both watched her disappear in to the blackness of the undergrowth, Eggman sat himself by the fire and called after her "Probably best you and I have this talk in a few years. Tails should be old enough by then too. Two for one deal"

Amy remained stood, "I don't think I want this conversation myself. What do you mean you had this chat with Sonic?"

"Why it was a night just like this! We were having some manly roasted marshmallows over a camp fire, his younger comrade was out of ear shot, and I asked him what the deal was between you two."

At this, Amy finally sat herself opposite him, "What did he say?"

"I can't tell you that, it would break doctor patient confidentiality!"

She swiftly raised her hammer but Eggman was quick to defend himself.

"Just as this conversation will remain between us! I can't tell you what he said, bro code must be upheld, but I can tell you what I told him. Adapted to be relevant to you of course."

Amy put her hammer down on the floor and picked up one of the stray flowers from Sticks' now disintegrated blanket, "Why do you want to give me...relationship advise?"

"I've shipped you and Sonic since you moved to the village. The first time I met you it was mid attack and one of my bee bots was about to assimilate you when in swooped the blue fuzzball to whisk you out of the way. Oh the way you looked at each other it was as if you had never seen another hedgehog."

"We hadn't."

"The point is I knew you two were meant to be together. If I didn't manage to destroy him I just wanted him to be happy."

Amy shook her head, "You do know how little sense that makes don't you?"

Eggman growled, "Do you want my advice or not?"

She sighed, what harm could it do to indulge him? If he and Sonic had this conversation three years ago it had certainly never been brought up, so maybe in this department he could be trusted.

"Okay Eggman, shoot. What should I do?"

Leaning his chin on his knuckles the good doctor mumbled, "What I never seem to be able to do. Get the upper hand."

"The upper hand?"

"Don't interrupt. Look if you're worried that he has some kind sexual power play in motion..."

"Don't you use that word..."

"...then you are wrong! He knows he has those rugged good looks and suave attitude but he has no idea what to do with them. If he wanted to talk you in to bed he would have done it by now, but he has a healthy respect for you. He understands that under your bosom beats a sensitive heart and that keeps his libido in check. The reason he makes it so obvious those twins make him weak at the knees is there is no chance of catching any feelings."

Amy had folded her arms tight across her chest at the word 'bosom' but she was also squeezing her emotions back down too, "So he is thinking with his...libido."

"What do you expect? He's twenty-six..."

"Eighteen."

"...and a hot blooded male. I know at that age I was chasing skirts left right and centre. Didn't catch very many of course but I knew my true calling was building robots anyway so what did it matter if the opposite sex kept turning me down..."

"How is it I'm getting advice from you again?"

"STOP INTERRUPING! The point is Miss Rose, he is sexually mature while you are emotionally mature. What you need to bring out in him, he needs to bring out in you. The only way you'll end up with each other is for you to get him hot under the collar, so he learns to care about more than what's under your shirt."

"That was very poetic."

"I've been practicing that speech for three years. I should hope so."

Amy snorted loudly, "Exactly what makes you think I want to win over Sonic the Hedgehog anyway?"

Eggman didn't say a word. He didn't need to. That had bothered Amy more than any part of their bizarrely intimate conversation. Initially she thought she was drawn to Sonic as he really was the only other hedgehog she had seen, except for family. They were on a very small island, and on the occasions they had travelled elsewhere she had bumped in to more of her spiny species, but none were a patch on her blue icon.

Except perhaps, Shadow. Shadow lived up to his name; dark in appearance and dark in character. The very first time she had seen him it was from a distance and without his knowing, so she was able to very carefully run her eye over him. She could sense even then, far out of his range, that he wasn't like anyone she had come across before. He had stood with his arms folded and his eyes closed in perfect silence, just listening to the ocean crash on the rocks below. If his quills hadn't been flicked by the wind she would swear he was a statue. After a few moments, he vanished in a blink, leaving her wondering if she had seen a ghost. The next time she saw him, a few years had gone by and his quiet, calm demeanour revealed itself to be cold and aggressive. He had very nearly beaten Sonic to a pulp, and were it not for Eggman's idiocy, Shadow might have finished the job. He had been somewhat of an ally in encounters since, but she would never shake the quell in her heart that had started the day she really thought she could lose Sonic.

"I don't think he wants to belong to anyone Eggman,' she finally replied, 'he wants to be 'as free as the wind that blows' or whatever crap he can come up with when I ask a favour or we plan a date.'

The Doctor shook his head and sighed, 'Then why does he stay on this tiny little blot of land when he has a whole world to run around on?'

When she hadn't replied he excused himself and yelled for Sticks to return. Even with her peer back by her side Amy couldn't get Eggman's voice out of her head, just a tiny little voice echoing the same words over and over. _He has a healthy respect for you._


	3. Growing Up is Awkward to do

In terms of Sonic canon, Boom is almost a blank slate. To some degree it's helpful as there aren't years of comics and games and cartoons to reference, but it also limits characters. Therefore there is a created character in here, she's important to further this chapter but not the story as a whole. I hope to avoid OC's (the name, incidentally, is taken from a real person).

Also, I am aware the themes followed here are used so often, and I can only apologize if it comes across repetitive. I am trying to go down a different route, but there are so many good stories out there, it's no mean feat. Onward dear friends, thanks for sticking with me.

I've failed to mention this, but Sonic et al belong to Sega and many others (but not me, at all).

* * *

Now Amy had an active imagination, she had access to books and she was bright. None of these things could help her understand how to convert the data she knew in to the physical actions she needed. If romance was an art than all she could accomplish was the abstract. There was nobody she could really talk to; there was no way she was going to the twins even if they were the most logical. The adult women of the village were too stuffy to ask "so how did you seduce your husband?"

Not long after she turned sixteen, Amy came in to heat for the first time, and her world went a little crazy.

Just before her Birthday, an old woman came to the village and called on Amy immediately. Her green quills were grey at the ends and she balanced most of her weight on a stick, but her eyes were bright and her clothes were colourful. Amy tried to recall ever seeing her before, given she stood out among the other women of the village, but there was only a fuzzy recollection of a time before she moved away from her parents. When she opened the door to this other worldly creature she had almost just as quickly shut it again, but the emerald hedgehog had held out her hand politely.

"Amy Rose, my name is Mary Concepción," she had announced in a whispery and soothing voice. "I'm a travelling midwife. I'm here to give you some advice."

"No!" Amy had exclaimed, quickly snapping her hand back, "I mean, I'm not pregnant, I can't..."

"You will be reaching sexual maturity soon yes?" Mary had interrupted.

"I think the cards just say Happy Sixteenth. But I suppose so."

With a slight nod of her head Mary had indicated she would like to be invited in, to which Amy obliged. Somewhere in the back of her head she could hear her Mothers voice explaining about the "crazy lady" who had visited when she was younger but anything else was a faded memory. Amy wasn't fearful of Mary though, she gave off a very caring aura but was clearly happy to be blunt. Blunt was sometimes okay, especially in matters such as these.

"Now I am not here to explain to you exactly how a baby is made. I feel at this age that will just be patronizing. I assume you do know?"

Amy cleared her throat, as she began to feel awkward, "Yes, when a male and a female love each other very much..."

"Love doesn't make a baby dear, having sex does. It's a very genetic process, and while I am an advocate of sleeping with animals you love, I am not here to give you dating advice."

Amy flushed red, and crashed about making them both a cup of tea before the conversation got any more embarrassing. She would need the soothing sensation of a hot drink in her hands.

"I am glad to know you haven't been in heat yet, because with little knowledge of what it does to your psyche it can be a very confusing time. All at once you are going to get a rush of hormones you have only caught the edge of and it is my job to keep you as safe as possible. There is a male hedgehog in the village too I understand? Sonic?"

"Yes, just Sonic. You don't have to tell him about this do you?"

Mary patted her hand, "It isn't necessary if you are aware of the situation. Each species, Miss Rose, is biologically inclined to reproduce with beings in their own circle. This is why we are taking love out of the equation for this conversation, love is blind to logic. During the time you are in heat, about two weeks, your body will be screaming at you to act upon its desire to conceive a child. It will also being giving off pheromones to let any male within the vicinity know that is what the situation is."

Amy let out a sound that was somewhere between a whimper and a groan. It was a wordless question. Mary simply carried on.

"Sonic is going to feel very uneasy in your company during this time. If there have been no other female hedgehogs around then this is going to be new to him as well. With both of you slaves to your hormones it is easy to let sensibilities go by the wayside."

"Ca...can I help myself?"

"Of course you can, this is why I am telling you this. For your first time in heat it will be wise to stay away from Sonic at all costs. I am not here to lecture you on your choices so if you choose to act on your impulses I will not berate you. However, you are young, and he is very good at running away, so whatever you feel about him, it should be pushed way down."

Amy stared in to her cup for a moment before responding, "Would it not be easier to just tell him?"

Mary lifted Amy's chin with one finger and scrutinized her face thoroughly, "You are a pretty little thing. Miss Sticks informs me that Sonic has very poor impulse control. Perhaps telling him that you can barely contain your desire to have sex with him would be unwise?"

Amy freed her chin and frowned, "He has more respect for me than that," she snapped.

Mary nodded, "Which is why he would be very angry with himself if instinct was stronger than logic."

Amy finally understood what she was being told.

"Will I have to do this every time?"

"No Miss Rose, after a couple of seasons your bodies will adjust to the increase in your hormones and it will become more like background static. In bigger towns where creatures are surrounded by their own species these hidden scents are always in the air and they grow up used to them, like how you stop noticing the smell of a bunch of flowers in a room after a few hours."

After they chatted for a short while longer about the physical changes Amy would feel; an increase in body temperature, physical sensitivity, aggressive tendencies towards other females (of any species apparently) and after Mary had made it painfully clear that satisfying her urges herself were perfectly healthy and natural, the good nurse had departed.

"Wait!" Amy called after her just before she disappeared from sight, "what do you mean Sticks informed you?!"

"My Grandma does the same job, only she goes to talk to badgers instead of hedgehogs. I got 'the talk' a couple of years ago."

"I...suppose that explains it. Sticks, is this what you were trying to talk about, that night we went camping?"

She nodded, "I try to make it my business to understand the basic genetics of most creatures, that way I know when alien hybrids are trying to imitate us. Badgers are very anti-social creatures, so we can start popping out cubs a lot younger...gives us more chance to preserve the species."

Amy raised her eyebrows, "You've been in heat already?"

"Oh yea, lots of times. I don't get horny though I just get angry. The first few times I happened I holed myself up in a hideout I built in the forest. I claw a few trees to pieces, stand under the waterfall to cool myself off, and sleep a lot. I've got used to these mood swings now though, you won't find me acting crazy."

Amy scrunched up her face to force herself from making a joke. She had come straight to Sticks burrow after her visit from the midwife. Her brain hadn't taken the time to process what she had been told properly yet.

"Did you tell Mary about Sonic?"

Sticks looked a little forlorn before she spoke, "It's not that I think Sonic intends you any harm, you've been on plenty dates where he has been the perfect gentleman..."

"Or he wasn't interested," Amy sighed quietly.

"I thought you said he had made a move or two but stopped when you asked him to?"

"Doesn't mean it was because he likes me though, maybe it's part of this whole pheromones business."

Sticks growled. She had seen Amy be the most confident young women you could hope to give a motivational speech, and in the same day lose every ounce of belief in herself. Sonic was so cautious about letting anyone knows what he was feeling he would make Amy feel bad about herself without realizing he was doing it!

Sticks grabbed Amy's hand and dragged her in front of a mirror, after clearing piles of junk out of the way. She pulled her dress tight around the pink hedgehogs body.

"Not interested, in this? Look at this rack! And this butt! I've seen Tails and Knuckles look at you in ways they haven't before. Face it, you're hot, what red blooded male hedgehog could resist?"

Amy gave her friend a dubious look over shoulder before looking again in the mirror. Her quills were slightly longer than they had been when she was younger, and she liked the way she could flick them around. Her bust wasn't huge, but was shapelier than last year perhaps. She kept herself fit and her thighs had taken a muscular roundness.

"I'm a little scared of what's about to happen to me Sticks," she admitted, "I don't want anything to happen either of us regret."

Sticks considered this revelation before coming up with the simplest solution, "Then stay in my hideout. It might not be up to your standards of hygiene but it is remote, and has that waterfall for all your aqua needs. Except panning for gold, I bled it dry already."

Knuckles was snoring loudly when Tails sat himself down next to him. The beach was deserted and all that remained from Amy's Birthday the week before was the odd piece of confetti buried in the sand. As it was a coming of age Birthday the whole village had descended on the shore to wish her well. The girls especially had fussed about her, putting flowers in her quills and whispering things in her ear. Tails had no idea what was being said but Amy had spent most of her time blushing. Even he had to admit it made her look very cute, even if she nothing but an older sister to him. Knuckles had been a little more crass and had whistled at her a few times, but he meant no harm by it. Amy didn't seem to take offence to it, but Sticks had flipped him off. Flirts.

Sonic on the other hand had been virtually unreadable that night. Usually Sonic felt the need to put on a show when that many people were together, but he had remained subdued. Tails had spoken to him a couple of times and though Sonic had replied with a quip or two, there hadn't been the same snarky tone in his voice. He had avoided Amy at almost all costs and though Tails has teased her in the past, it made him sad to see the disappointment in her face. As far as he was aware Sonic hadn't seen her at all since then.

Though he was still a few years off understanding love completely, he was pretty sure Sonic loved Amy. For years Sonic had acted liked Amy should be besotted with him, and for years Amy had seemed besotted with him. When it seemed that Amy wasn't romantically interested in him, Sonic had acted out in a childish fashion by either putting her down or intentionally trying to make her jealous. They had flirted, and they had dated, but even then Tails was never able to draw Sonics real feelings out of him.

Suddenly Knuckles stirred and grumbled, "Twenty-three..."

Tails turned to him, "Twenty-three what?"

There was a blue flash, a wave of sand, and finally the sound of Sonic speeding by. Tails brushed the sand from his fur and stood to attention.

"What's going on? Are we under attack? Is Sonic in mid battle?"

Knuckles hadn't even opened his eyes, let alone brush the sand of himself, but he still replied, "I don't think so. He just keeps going round the island like that. I think I counted twenty-three times but I can only go up to twelve, so I started counting from one again and added them together."

"How can you not count beyond twelve but you can add together?"

"Magnets."

Tails took in a breath but decided against heading down this particular rabbit hole any further.

"Did he say why he's doing it? Usually if he's breaking a record he has me time it, or I make something to speed him along or..."

"Nope, Forest just keeps on running," Knuckles jumped in, as another roar of blue hedgehog shot by and covered them in sand again. "I'm seeing how deep he can bury me, ha."

Tails rolled his eyes and shook his head lightly. They were a weird bunch.


	4. To Fall by the Fall

_I feel like I'm going to have to apologize in advance for the direction I found this fanfic going in. It's developed as I've gone along, but I realise some of you might not like it. I can only say sorry, I have to type with my gut._

 _First off I have to mention the following image, Our Distant Juction by Un-Genesis on da. It is just how I picture the meeting between our two._

 _We are also starting to head in to the lemon flavoured section of this fanfic cake. It is set mature for a reason, and though we are getting exceptionally graphic here, it's a taster of what is to come._

 _Also, please don't shoot me for Sonic's characterisation here. I won't say more so as to not spoil it, but this is how I can picture him being, that's not to say this is how you would._

 _Lastly: Sonic et al belong to Sega and all involved with Boom. I am using them as my pawns._

* * *

Sonic was certain there was an orange outline next to the red one this time, but he didn't even consider slowing down, let alone stopping. He had to run and he had to keep on running and he wasn't sure why but nothing in the world was going to stop him.

He hadn't been himself of late, but he was a man of actions, not words, and he couldn't even vocalise in his own head what was going on. Since Amy's Birthday he had felt the need to be...doing something with himself. Had he ever worn pants, there would be ants in them. He had put every effort to not bolting from the party, just as he had put every effort in to not throwing her over his shoulder and running away with her.

Secretly he had been dreaming of the day she turned sixteen for the past few years, ever since he turned sixteen himself. Once he had reached the peak of sexual maturity it had been harder to keep her off his mind. It wasn't for lack of other women, he had ventured to the bigger cities to seek out the odd night of female company. But no matter how willing said company was, his thoughts and fantasies would drift back to his sugarplum. How sweet would she actually be? He hadn't been with another hedgehog, that just didn't seem right, if it wasn't her it couldn't be another of his own kind.

His urges had gone in to overdrive and now he found himself antsy pretty much 24/7. Eggman battles just wouldn't suffice so he had done the only thing he could think to do; run. At top speed through the forest and the village he had to concentrate on his surroundings and for a few hours it had worked. Right until he had bumped in to her.

She came so suddenly in to view he had screeched to a halt to avoid clashing with her. When the dust cleared he found he was so close they were virtually nosed to nose. Though not one part of his body was touching hers he felt a bolt of lightning shoot through him. His breath caught in his throat as every nerve in his body was suddenly alight and...needy. In the early morning mist she glowed like a newly flowered cherry blossom, ready to be plucked. This girl had doe eyed innocence down to a fine art, and her delicate little mouth looked so enticing with her lips parted just ever so slightly. Her eyelids were all at once heavy and a flush of red crossed her muzzle.

She let out a sound, a whimper of sorts, that whooshed out of her body in a quick but deep breath. From his own throat came a low, deep growl that he was barely aware he made. It wasn't an intentional noise, he wasn't even sure what it was for, but it seemed to have an effect on Amy as she moved away from him. It was only a small movement but at this his whole body made a move to grab her. Instead, he managed make it look like he was dashing away. And dash away he did, unaware of the animal that had just taken over every sense he had. His thoughts were bombarded with images of throwing Amy to the ground and really establishing her as his. He was horrified by his arousal; at how lacking in consideration it was, at how for a brief moment she was not Amy Rose so much as she was a female ripe for the taking. It was heartless and it wasn't him.

It was only later that he would come to find out that how deeply he cared for her was the only reason she wasn't pinned under him on the forest floor.

* * *

If one thing could be said for Sticks feral tendencies, it was that she really knew how to make a liveable shelter. Amy lay in a surprisingly comfortable bed of foliage and had plenty of room to get up and walk around in. The softness of her dwelling couldn't help her sleep though, not after her encounter with Sonic earlier.

So many of the villagers had been at her party she was occupied at all times, but at no point had she spent any time with Sonic. Even for their non romantic dynamic, this was unusual, he was a better friend than that. She tried not to let it ruin her evening, and after a beautiful explosion of confetti and fireworks she had found herself too tired to notice his absence.

She couldn't say for sure he had avoided her since then, but given the amount of time they usually spent as a group they were all missing him. They had spent some time as a four but eventually the guys would go find Sonic themselves and the girls would do their own thing. They were invited to come along but Amy felt for sure it wasn't a good idea.

That morning she had woken up with an uncomfortable heat burning her up from the inside. She knew this was the sign for her to go in to hiding, but a walk in the chilly morning mist seemed like a gentle way to cool herself down. It would be quiet at that time and she could enjoy her freedom for just an hour or so before she disappeared in to the wilderness for a fortnight.

Perhaps had she not been concentrating so hard on enjoying the tranquillity she might have noticed the subtle sound of the forest being crushed beneath his feet. He was so light when he ran though, you were more likely to hear the sound barrier being broken than a twig. For whatever reason he hadn't spotted her in time to swoop past her and he had stopped only millimetres in front of her.

Her eyes had locked on to his, oh how she had missed staring in to them. Such a piercing shade of green they could bore right through her skull. She had never held his gaze like this though; it was like he was trying to draw out every little secret her soul had.

Just as she had been warned would happen, her hormones sent tingles straight to her most intimate area and she moaned at the sudden increase in desire. In response he had growled. Such a deep animistic sound she had not heard from him before and it had taken her aback. She had heard his sounds of frustration and anger, but nothing had been as heavy as that.

For a split second she thought he was going to grab her, but he simply moved his arms in the position as he took off without another word. She was left staring in to the sky where only moments ago his gaze had been. When she finally let out a breath it came out of her in a ragged gasp, like she had been crying for some time and was trying to catch her breath. It was time to leave.

Several hours later, night had fallen but the heat burning through her veins had not. She was overly tired and frustrated and decided to try to cool herself down before she went completely insane.

The waterfall that Sticks had mentioned was a beautiful spot to have to herself. In the moonlight the water looked as if it was glowing, and the flowers that surrounded it gave of a delicate perfume. It was a little slice of paradise, and as she stripped herself bare, it was an escape from all of her senses. With careful steps she climbed right under the heavy fall of water and let it envelope her. Facing the rock face she balanced herself with one hand against the cold stone and dipped her head right under. The pounding was massaging her tense muscles, and it drowned out any other sound the forest tried to disrupt her with.

The deafening roar of the falls left her more vulnerable than she could ever have expected. Without any time to react Amy found her whole body pressed in to the chilling rock, pinned in to place by another form using every inch of their own body to keep her there. A hand was clapped tight around her chin, pushing her face skyward so she couldn't look around or open her mouth to scream. While one wrist was being held in place she still had one free hand which she used to try to push her assailant away, but he was pressed too hard against her. In desperation she reached round to his back and quickly pricked her finger on a spiny quill.

She knew she should have been scared, or angry, or continued to fight, but she didn't. Fear was washed away with the falls and she allowed herself to feel the giddy thrill of her predicament. Even with the water cascading over their bodies she could feel his hot breath on her neck as his mouth grazed the side of her throat. She tried to look around but he kept her face pointed forwards. Perhaps had it not been for their encounter this morning she would have found this terrifying behaviour for Sonic, but now she knew it was just basic, animal instinct. She couldn't deny her aching body when satisfaction was so deliciously close. Her back arched to make contact where she wanted it most.

His body began to quiver. The water was still the loudest noise so she could barely make out his words, but his cry of frustration rang loud. Just as suddenly as he had appeared, he was gone. The attack of the cold water on her back when she had previously been covered by body heat was a violent attack on her nervous system. As her body jolted she slipped off the rocks and in to the pool below, grazing her leg deeply in the process. The water was shallow so she didn't need to fight to stay afloat, but pain screamed through her and she froze. She looked toward the forest for any sign of Sonic but the rest of the world was still.

* * *

It was barely sunrise when Sonic heard a scratching of claw against wood. His eyes shot open and he took a quick look around his shack. It wasn't like there was a lot in there, and there was certainly no signs of life. Assuming it was a dream he settled himself back down.

No, there it was again. He was too sleepy to be bright and alert but he hauled himself out of his hammock to take a look around. There was certainly nothing inside, so he stepped through the entryway to look out on to an abandoned beach. The waves crashed against the shore and the breeze rustled the trees but otherwise everything was quiet.

He shrugged and turned around. That was when she pounced on him, jumping from her hiding place on his roof. She screamed and clawed at him with a savagery unusual even for her. He tried to grab at her arms but she was ferociously strong. His next instinct was to kick but he didn't want to hurt her; what ever had brought this on she was still a friend.

The noise had caused enough commotion to wake the nearest one who could help. Knuckles grabbed Sticks by the scruff of her neck and lifted her clean in to the air.

"Hey feisty,' he yawned, 'night terrors again?"

She struggled and fought against his grip but it was no use, "the only terror in the night is THIS one!"

Sonic scurried out of her reach before standing up, "Me? What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb with me you bastard!" she snarled, "Knucks would you put me down? I need to tear him a few new holes."

Knuckles looked dumbfounded, more than usual, "What's ticked you off so much? Was he snoring loudly again?"

She was still thrashing as hard as a fish on dry land, "He hasn't been doing much sleeping! Have you, you blue RAT!"

Sonic knew this could only mean one thing, his actions from the previous night hadn't been kept hidden at all. He knew he shouldn't have trusted that she would keep a secret. He had made sure nobody was around when he left and at his speed it wasn't like anyone was going to see him. So SHE must have spoken up after all, though he had been so sure she wasn't going to say anything. Why of all creatures had she told Sticks?

"Okay Knucks you can put her down, I guess I have to explain. Stay put though, I need a bro to back me up on this one."

"You back him up and I'll choke you with your own sports tape."

"One of you explain now please," Knuckles whimpered as he too got out of arms reach.

Sonic groaned as the guilt came flooding over him, "Last night I had certain...ah...physical feelings I needed to attend to."

Knuckles looked perplexed, "Have you been raiding Tails fridge for a midnight snack again?"

"No, not like that."

"Had you forgotten to return something to the store?"

"That's not..."

"Oh you left your washing in a wet pile and needed to put it out to dry?"

"All I wear is my scarf."

"Pay an insurance bill?"

Sticks finally screamed in rage, "His dick! He had to go make his dick happy!"

They both stared at her unblinking for a moment before Knuckles nodded with a wry grin. He lifted his fist to be bumped and received a hard punch in the ribs for it.

"You men are all the same! Only thinking with that useless mass hidden between your legs!"

"Useless?"

"Did you even think about how Amy would feel?"

Sonic frowned, "Of course I di...look I don't have to explain myself. That's between me and Amy! It's not like I can wait around until she gives me a clear sign."

Sticks snapped and charged for him again. This time he was prepared and managed to keep dodging her reach, ducking from her boomerang, and he tried to drown out the bone chilling noises emitting from the little badger. Finally she became exhausted and he grabbed a hold of her wrists to stop her collapsing to the ground.

"Look Sticks I'm sorry okay. I usually head out of the village so none of you have to find out. Does Amy actually know? Did Staci tell her?"

The badger lifted one eyebrow high, "Of course Amy knows, she was there wasn't she? What was Staci doing there?"

Knuckles walked over and lifted Sticks on to his shoulder, "Sonic you will tell me what happened. Use small words so I can get to pummelling you quicker."

Sonic lifted his hands in defence, "Knuckles I know you think she's cute, but Perci is the nice twin, she's the one you like. I was weak and Staci was there and she suggested I pop by for a visit and before I know it we've...!"

"I WAS TALKING ABOUT YOU TRYING TO SCREW AMY. STACI NOT ENOUGH FOR ONE NIGHT?"

The world in Sonics vision went very dark, "I didn't see Amy last night. I've not seen her for a couple of days."

Knuckles saw the look that crossed Sonics eyes and knew it wasn't a good sign. He dropped Sticks back to the ground but kept one hand on her shoulder. She was still shaking.

"Last night, Amy was bathing out in the woods when she was grabbed from behind. She told me it was you."

"She saw me?"

Sticks drooped, "She said she didn't see who it was, but it was a hedgehog so she safely assumed it was you. Even if you did stop before anything happened, it was clear what you wanted! She can't help herself, crazy hormones...so that's why we put her out of your reach."

"It wasn't me."

She didn't need further convincing. He had said those three words in a whisper but they were heavy with anger and hurt. When Amy had contacted her on her communicator earlier, assuring her that she was fine but that something had happened, Sticks had seen red. Although her doubts about Sonic were miniscule, they grew to a monstrous size in light of the evidence.

"Amy was sure it was a hedgehog, she caught her finger one of his spines, if it wasn't you then..."

But Sonic had already vanished, nothing but a trail left in the sand to show his direction.

"I don't get it," Knuckles called to her as they both followed Sonics tracks, "what's happened?"

"Underestimations!"

"Okay...I'll just pretend I know what you mean then."


	5. Forever Behind You

_Um, yea so, Shadow. First off my favourite enigma has no real history in the Boom universe, so I'm adapting from Adventures/Archie storytelling to be able to give him background. He just comes across as hollow, aloof bad guy in the one episode he appears in and in the games he's an antagonist more than enemy. What I am saying is, this Shadow is mine, but I feel I have enough aspects of his character for him to be recognizable._

 _Posted this at the same time as my previous chapter as 1. they read best together and 2. this one has a far better cliffhanger. So language, smutty themes etc will likely be found. Ye be warned._

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega and the wonderful Boom team._

* * *

Sonic gave up trying to get hold of Amy on his communicator, it was just going straight to the answering machine. It hadn't occurred to him to call her right away but his feet were going quicker than his head. He only had a vague idea of where she was but he wasn't going to turn back to find Sticks now. If he just kept looking he was bound to find her sooner rather than later. In his head he could hear 'stopped before anything happened' but that meant something had nearly happened. That fucking imposter, fooling Amy like that, what if they had actually...?

"I won't forgive you for this, Shadow!" he cried in to the air.

He stopped. Though the sun had started to rise and the birds had begun their chorus, he could hear the sound of splashing water. A waterfall? Amy had been bathing...yes, Sticks hideout that nobody knew about except them because they followed her once! They never actually saw it because she had done such a good job of the camouflage, but he knew it was close by. He could sense her somehow. If he stood by the waterfall there was a chance he could find the hovel. Find her. Alone, if Shadow knew what was good for him.

Finding his place by the falls he took a deep breath and tried to clear his head. He would have to deal with the fact he had revealed his dalliances to Sticks later. He was quick to anger when he thought Amy had found out too but anger was an easier emotion to handle than the guilt. The guilt was there alright and it wasn't going anywhere but the voices in his head sent him conflicting ways to react. On the one hand he and Amy were nothing official, when they had kissed and his hand travelled to where it shouldn't she had shyly recoiled. Hell, he wasn't even entirely sure she wanted him in that sense, she could have just had a crush that hadn't developed in to anything further. He was going to be nineteen in a couple of months and he had a lot of energy to burn and sex was actually pretty great and...

"Ah, that's too big!"

Her voice cut through the morning air. The rocks around the falls made the words echo around his head. He turned his ears this way and that to try and find the source.

"Don't give me that. Just lift your leg and take a deep breath," was the male response, and there was no question whose vocals were that gruff. The red mist descended on him again and he started frantically throwing himself in to any bush that looked larger than the rest.

"Ow! Shadow that hurt! Don't just stick it in like that!"

Those final words of Amy's were enough for Sonic. In a blind panic he ran straight in to the thickest tree in the area, and knocked himself out cold.

* * *

Amy peeled off the bandage she had covered the wound on her leg with. The bleeding had stopped but it was still pretty raw. At least no infection had set in but she was virtually immobile until the swelling had gone down. She looked her her communicator again but the battery had gone completely flat. Amy had spent yesterday deciding what the best course of action was regarding both her leg and whether she would tell Sticks. In the end the pain had got too much and she had called her friend, and if her intention had only been to tell her she had grazed her leg it quickly went out the window. Perhaps even nearly a whole day later there was still enough adrenaline pumping through her veins to block out sanity. Whatever the reason, she had spilled to Sticks about what Sonic had done, no detail missed. Had she not been so wrapped up in what she was saying she might have noticed the badger had gone very quiet. She also hadn't noticed her battery depleting until it was too late. Surely Amy had said enough to suggest she needed medical assistance though, right?

She could see the sun rise on the horizon meaning a few hours must have passed since she spoke to Sticks. Maybe she hadn't been as clear on the situation as she intended.

Amy sighed and lay back on her bunk. That moment at the waterfall had been the most sexually charged of her life, even if it hadn't started off that way. The way he had held his strength back, not so tight as to hurt her but not letting her escape either, had been enough to send wild fantasies coursing through her. His hot breath on her neck punctuating the chill of the water sent her weak at the knees. Who would have thought Sonic was capable of just going with his gut like that? Then she remembered, he probably didn't even want to, hence running away even after she made it clear she was available. Sticks was right, she was weak.

"That isn't going to heal on it's own."

Amy leapt out of her skin and her bunk, crashing in a heap on the floor. By her head were a pair of very recognisable shoes.

"Shadow? What are you doing here?"

True to style he remained stood with his arms folded, glaring at her. It was like a trick with Shadow, he would only answer the right questions.

Up close he was an imposing figure. In both height and build he was similar to Sonic, perhaps slightly taller and slightly broader in chest. His black fur was velvet dark, only off set by the streaks of red though his quills and the shock of white fur below his neck. As far as Amy knew, he never smiled. She tried to hide a shiver. Was she scared? No, she didn't think so.

He held out a hand, and with some trepidation she took it and hoisted herself back on to the bed. In his other hand she noticed a small First Aid kit. She smiled up at him, and even if he did not return it she still felt overwhelming gratitude. It no longer mattered how he found her or how he knew she was hurt...if he came with painkillers he could read her mind for all she cared.

Her joy ebbed when he produced the needle. She knew she had cut herself pretty badly but she didn't think it would require stitches. She recoiled at the sight of it.

"Ah, that's too big!" she protested as he approached her. He sat by her on the bunk and pointed at her wound.

"Don't give me that. Just lift your leg and take a deep breath," he barked, not unkindly. When she still wouldn't do as told he grabbed her ankle and pulled her towards him, laying her leg across his knee. Unable to watch, she closed her eyes

The sudden stab of pain jolted her temper right out of her, "Ow! Shadow that hurt! Don't just stick it in like that!". He simply grunted at her and carried on, keeping hold of her so she couldn't pull away but not so tight it hurt...

Before her thought process could go any further there was an almighty thud. She looked out of the window and down to the ground, several meters below. Though Sticks did love to burrow she had made this hide away a tree house, for added security. Not that it had worked well so far.

"Sonic!" she cried down to the pile of blue hedgehog on the floor. Behind her, Shadow frowned even deeper.

* * *

Shadow was an old soul. His oldest memories were still almost entirely locked away from him; he had no idea who he had been before the events with Doctor Robotnik and Maria. When Black Doom had come to claim him, he fought back, their tenuous hold on him broken by his memories of the young human. When he had lost her, he had closed off the growth of feelings, but even in the decades he spent in suspended animation his mind chattered away.

His battles with Sonic had made him feel alive. His choices and his actions made him more than just a weapon. It was the first time he encountered her that he felt like a hedgehog.

His senses were impeccable, so while she had no doubt presumed she was hidden from his sight, Shadow was all too aware of her. Her scent on the breeze was strange; familiar but alien all at once. She was young, that much he could detect, but he was not one so interact when he had no reason to. He had other hedgehogs to worry about at the time.

He had no real reason to be in the village now his rivalry with Sonic had become a moot point. He was a loner, unless he was working, and he liked it that way, but staying completely out of touch with reality made him feel like he was back is stasis and it sat uncomfortably. His fur made him virtually undetectable at night, a ghost in the peripheral vision, a shadow in the darkness. Watching the interactions of others was a way to teach himself further about the reason for existence. So when a certain blue erinaceinae slunk between buildings in the village he felt more compelled to follow him than leave.

He finally disappeared behind the door of the two bandicoot girls, though Shadow had spied the one twin leave the village earlier that day. He was no fool, he knew what in all likelihood was going on in that house and he had no desire to investigate further. The way that blue idiot had snuck around the place meant he was keeping this nightly visit a secret from everyone.

Shadow had to know where Amy was. He was so sure she and Sonic were together, but perhaps the pink hedgehogs youth had stopped their relationship from developing beyond close friendship. To Shadow, Sonic's lack of patience was a careless throw away of what could be a mate for life. He closed his eyes and let his nose do the real hunting for him. She wasn't in the village, but her scent was still so strong he was able to follow it's trail with ease.

Buried deep in the forest he finally detected a change in her make up. Deep down Shadow was more primal than any creature he had met, and he knew what those pheromones meant. In the very basic genetic sense, she was grown up, she was able and yes...even willing. It was as if a wolf came alive inside of him and he raced to where she was like his very being depended on it. Perhaps he could finally find comfort in physical closeness with another. A female hedgehog, a strong female hedgehog, made perfect sense.

He finally saw her, though he was still perfectly buried in the onyx night. The scent in the air told him she was technically mature, but the sight of her unclothed form is what really struck him. Her relaxed sway displayed her comfort, nay confidence, with her own skin. She was lean but her upright posture declared to the world she was also a fighter. As she stepped in to the waterfall the world around him fell away and his only focus was her.

In a flash he had her pinned. In a desperate need to abate his desire he pressed his body against hers, trapping her against the rockface. He grabbed her chin to hold her face from turning to him, but having only one hand to hold her right wrist, her other arm reached around to him. As she brushed his hip he felt a delicious jolt of satisfaction, yes this was what he needed. He breathed in her scent as she explored further, catching her finger on one of his quills.

She had been tensed up, but as she recoiled her bleeding digit her whole body went soft. His powerful hearing was able to pick up her sigh of relief over the rush of the water. Not only this, but he felt her pert backside push itself further into his overheating groin. He expected to leap on this encouragement, but reason finally burst through his horny haze. She hadn't been able to see an inch of him, so she could only conclude it was that blue fool behind her, not him.

"Get a grip," he growled to himself. He had only succumbed to his temper in the past. He could control his appetite, he could fight off the cold, so he would be damned if this little pink girl could make him lose control of his lust. In his speed to leave he hadn't taken in to account her balance and he heard her cry of pain but there was no going back.

That had been then, this was now. She hadn't once left his mind and he had begun to ache to complete what he had begun. He had made up for making her fall, he could treat a wound better than most, so it was time to let her know the truth. As she leaned against the window to call down to the idiot below, he reached up to take a hold of her wrist and slip his other hand gently around her neck. She emitted a noise of quiet surprise and he smirked at how quickly she recognised his body.

Amy didn't have much time to get her head around this new, horrific, painfully arousing revelation. Before she knew what had happened he whispered two words hotly in her ear.

"Chaos control."

Amy Rose would not been seen in Hedgehog Village for nearly an entire month.


	6. Guilty Until Proven Innocent

_This chapter is a little longer than the rest, and though I did have the cliffhanger intended for an earlier point I felt it might give the wrong impression and put people off reading. You will see what I mean, without giving too much away._

 _As I'm sure some of you will know it can be tricky writing a dialogue in character when you are writing things they will never officially do. So, adult situations, for characters who will never be adult in canon format (Sonic Universe "30 Years Later" was what COULD have been the future. We speak no further of it!). What I am getting at, is if they don't seem themselves it is only my interpretation of them._

 _So to reiterate, M rated for a reason._

 _Sonic Boom, its characters and designs etc belong to Sega._

* * *

Tails was buried in the engine of his beloved Tornado when Sonic burst through his warehouse for the fifteenth time that morning. He had given up yelling 'she isn't here' after the tenth time of taking pity on the blue blur. Amy had been gone for four days now and Sonic had gone through all the stages of grief several times. Right now he was back on bargaining, which ranged from 'giving up his life' to see her again to 'I will even be nice to Eggman if he tells me where Shadow is.'

They had exhausted the Eggman route already, luckily without Sonic there.

By chance Eggman had been in the village the day Amy disappeared. With Sonic still unconscious from his run in with a tree, it had been up to Tails to take the level headed approach. It wasn't that he wasn't concerned, but with Sticks a bundle of nervous guilt and Knuckles smashing anything he idled by so it was up to him to take the lead.

"Egghead, a moment of your time," he had called over.

Dr Eggman was sat alone at Meh Burger with an extravagant amount of food before him, and sighed heavily as he put down his as yet untouched burger.

"This better be good I'm having a stressful morning."

Summoning up all his courage he strolled over and squared up to the Doc, which was a lot easier when Eggman was sat down. He puffed up his chest and looked at the oversized human square in the eye.

"When was the last time you heard from Shadow?"

The doctor raised an eyebrow, "...the Hedgehog?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you are the only one he talks to."

Eggman scoffed, "Yea right, if you consider talking to thin air a conversation. I haven't heard from him in months, and that was to tell me he was destroying the communicator I gave him. Talk about ungrateful. I should be able to call upon him whenever..."

"You can't get hold of him?"

"I thought it was just blue wonder who was this rude?"

Tails growled and grabbed Eggmans jacket, "We don't have time to be polite! Can you reach him? Do you know where he might be?"

Eggman felt less than threatened but he was curious now, "He owe you money or something?"

Tails scoffed, "He's Sonics biggest rival, he has more on his mind than money!"

"Hey I thought I was his biggest rival!"

"No, you're more of an antagonist."

"I could say the same about you rodents!"

"Stop stalling and answer the question Egghead!"

"Not without a damn good reason you freak of nature."

"He stole Amy."

Tails whipped around and gave Knuckles a death glare. He hadn't planned on letting Eggman know the situation. Knuckles just stared blankly at the pair of them.

"What? Is Niggles right?"

Tails found himself shoved out of the way as Knuckles grabbed hold of the Doc instead, his height in comparison far more imposing and his strength matched only by his block headed attitude.

"Where are they?" the red echidna growled. What he lacked in thought he made up for in heart and Amy was like a sister to him. The previous evenings hunt had confused him at first, why Amy being alone with Shadow might be an issue. Once he had put two and two together he had spat more than a few curses in to the air before scooping up Sonic and bringing him home.

"Woah there, let go of the lapels. Did he really run away with my Fuzzy Puppy Buddy?"

Tails sighed, "It would seem that way."

"...was it voluntary on her part?"

Knuckles raised his fist, "What did you say?"

"What I mean is, do you know for sure he kidnapped her?"

Tails shared a glance with his friend before turning back to their common enemy, "Why would she go with him?"

"Er doi, have you seen the guy? He's so cool and mysterious and dark and brooding and..."

"Ugh stop," Knuckles protested, letting go of Eggman, "I usually throw up after being at Meh Burger."

"If you hear anything Egghead, you will let us know immediately!" Tails piped up once more.

The Doctor frowned but relented, "Much as it pains me to help you, I will send a few of my spy bots out. Until we know for sure she's in actual peril anyway."

"Of course she is!" Tails called behind him as they both walked away from the scene before Knuckles got them in to even deeper trouble, "at least, I assume she is," he quietly added.

"She packs a mean swing," Knuckles reassured him, "I'm sure he's getting a good pounding."

Tails scrunched up his nose, "Don't use that phrase in front of Sonic, will you?"

"What phrase?"

They both jumped in unison as a blurry eyed Sonic stood before them, swaying slightly and holding on to the bump on his head. His eyes were bloodshot and his posture portrayed the fact his concussion was still deep in effect.

"Morning!" Tails yelped, "or afternoon. How are you feeling?"

"Like a tank ran over me. What happened?

"You ran in to a tree," Knuckles chimed in, "I've been known to make such mistakes with walls, what with them popping up out of the blue like..."

"Hit a tree? I don't hit trees, my reflexes are second to none. What would make me...AMY!"

Knuckles stuck his foot out to try and trip Sonic up before he could bolt in to the blue, but Sonic didn't even make it that far before the concussion knocked him down again. So instead Knuckles threw his teammate over his shoulder and carried him back to his hammock where they left him before. Tails followed close behind and though it pained him to do so, he decided now would be the best opportunity to tell Sonic what they knew. He couldn't do himself or anyone any damage while his balance was completely out.

"Sticks built a tree house, so...you were pretty close when you ran in to it's trunk. We think you must have been asleep for an hour tops, the dew had rested on your fur so you were pretty chilly."

"Amy, Tails, where is Amy?"

With a deep breath he replied to his friend honestly, "We have no idea. Her communicator and headband were still in the treehouse, but it didn't look like there had been a struggle so we're hoping she's just gone for a stroll somewhere!"

"She aint gone for a stroll."

Sticks slumped slowly towards them, chewing nervously on one of her claws. For the village loon she had a deadly sombre look on her youthful face. In her free hand she carried Amy's headband and a small first aid kit.

"I got so angry last night at Sonic that I completely forgot she told me she was hurt. I found this in the treehouse," she indicated to the kit in her hand, "I didn't leave it with her."

"Could be her own?" Tails interjected, "If she knew she was going to be out there for a while, you taught her how to survive in the wilderness right Sticks?"

The badger cast her eyes downwards, "It...doesn't smell like her."

Sonic finally sat up and faced the group, "So wild girl, why don't you tell me, what you COULD smell?"

* * *

A full week had gone by, and to all accounts Amy had vanished off the face of the planet. If she was with Shadow, she really could have left the planet for all they knew. Sonic had exhausted all the places he could think to look, and even thoroughly searched the places Eggman had suggested. He was surprised the Doc had helped, usually he would happily see Sonic tormented like this, but Amy seemed special to him. She was special to all of them.

Sonic flopped back down on the couch in Amy's house, and groaned loudly. Eggman had got one little dig in, and it was haunting him. Shadow had no reason to hurt Amy and if he had kidnapped her he would have been demanding something for her return by now. There was the possibility that Amy had become property to Shadow, his...mate. But Sonic had faith that Amy could fight her way out of that situation and even Shadow didn't seem that wicked.

The suggestion Eggman had made was the last thing he wanted to think of, and that was that Amy had chosen to go with Shadow, and that she was choosing to stay with him. It was hard to picture the warm, loving Amy with someone so cold and distant, but Sonic wasn't prone to overt displays of affection either. She wanted the best for everyone, and though that often made her bossy and too sure of her actions, she never meant to hurt anyone. Maybe she felt some sense of duty to make that miserable wretch happy. Maybe he could make her happy.

"Arg NEVER!" he yelled in to the air. There was a cry from a few seagulls outside as they flew out to sea. Through the large window he saw their outlines fade in to the sunset, and he closed his eyes to try and picture joining them.

Exhausted, he had fallen asleep with ease, but his dreams only taunted him further. He could see his pink girl, hand reaching out to him while half buried in shadows. No matter how hard to ran he could only inch closer and closer to her outstretched palm. Just as the tips of his fingers touched hers, she would grin wickedly and snap her hand away. He stumbled and got one last look at her beautiful little face, before she was enveloped by the darkness. He cried out her name over and over, on the brink of tears, when he felt a gentle warmth pass across his muzzle. In his dreams, his fears melted away, and he caught the smell cherries in the air.

He woke with a start. He was indeed buried in darkness and initially he began to panic, but as his eyes readjusted to the moonlight he made out the shape of Amy's home all around him. Picking up a cushion he buried his face in the soft fabric, taking in the scent of her perfume and the aroma that could only be described as her. It would take a few minutes more for him to notice the letter propped up in front of the TV, his named in delicate cursive written on the front.

* * *

"Why would she drop in and not say anything to any of us?"

"I don't know Sticks, maybe she didn't want to wake us, it was the middle of the night."

"I thought you had better security at your place Tails?"

"I don't have cameras pointed everywhere Knuckles. Her communicator was sat on an empty table charging up, I didn't think she would sneak in to take it back."

"How do we know for sure she has it then?"

Tails growled in frustration, "I told you yesterday, she said so in that letter she left with Sonic."

Knuckles took a big handful of fries, "I thought you said we couldn't talk about the letter."

"Only when Sonic is here," Sticks said, spinning the straw in her drink around in circles, "and we haven't seen him since."

They all fell silent. The letter, in Amy's beautiful script, had left them all feeling a different emotion. Knuckles had broken out of his temper and was happy to believe all was well with the world. Tails was curious about the information that Amy had provided, where could she be that 'they won't find her'. Sticks was even more worried than before, and would ramble about there being no proof Amy hadn't been forced to write the letter. In her heart of hearts, she was even more concerned that what Amy had written in the letter was 100% accurate.

Then of course, there was the cobalt hero. There was no mistaking the anger in his eyes when he had thrust the letter at them. Wordlessly he had put the note in Sticks grip and turned away as she read it out.

 _Dear Sonic, Tails, Sticks and Knuckles._

 _First off, I am so sorry if I have made you worry this past week. I had no way of letting you know sooner, but I am perfectly fine. I shall retrieve my communicator, so if you urgently need me you should be able to call me. I can't guarantee you'll always be able to get through, but you can leave a message. Please, I miss your voices._

 _I can't say for sure where I am, so please don't look for me, you won't be able to find me. Shadow is keeping me safe, but he thinks it's best if I stay away for a while. I agree. I love you all, but I have to do this for me._

 _Sticks, I'm sorry if I worried you. My leg is healing nicely, soon the problem should go away. I'm getting the right help._

 _Tails I'm sorry I broke in to your workshop. We didn't break any windows or locks. I'm so lucky you're a technical wizard, I know my communicator will last for the rest of my time here._

 _Knuckles...keep being you._

 _Sonic, I hope you didn't hurt your head. Please don't be too angry with me, I am doing this for both of us. I can't explain everything via letter, we will talk when I return. I am staying here of my own free will, but that doesn't mean you aren't all on my mind._

 _Water my plants! The flowers are in bloom._

 _Amy._

There was a stony silence for a few moments, broken unsurprisingly by Knuckles.

"It's nice to know she's okay after all that."

Sticks wasn't so sure it was okay. She hadn't known what to say, and as Sonic had vanished from sight in a blink, she vowed not to talk about the letter in front of him again. How could she have accused him back then of such things. He was the hero after all, inside and out, and if Amy was safe with anyone it was with him. Shadow on the other hand, she didn't know enough about him to guess what his real intentions were. Sure he had helped them in the past, but he was arrogant and temperamental too. The way Amy had spoken to Sticks about that fateful night showed she was already a slave to her instincts. All the same, Amy barely knew Shadow, would she really give up everything in her life just for some 'release'.

"Perhaps we should try calling her? Just to check she is okay," Tails suggested.

"You can," Sticks snapped, as the anger suddenly overwhelmed her, "but if she says she's happy we can just leave them to it now."

The anger at being deserted by her friend would fade in and out in the days Amy was away, but Sticks didn't feel emotions by half. When she was angry she would rage for hours at a time, the odd tear falling now and again. As days became weeks, she did cave in and try to call Amy on her communicator but each time her call was left unanswered. On the twentieth day of Amy's absence she finally left one message, and though it was still marred with anger it was also her acceptance that things had changed with her friendship.

"You aren't in season any more, so your brain can't be too scrambled by hormones now. You better be in love or having the best sex imaginable to leave us like this."

* * *

"Wow Sonic, that was amazing," she breathed, wiping the sweat from her brow, "I'm so glad you came back."

"Yea," was all Sonic responded, neither out of breath or interested in after glow. Throwing his feet out of bed he quickly pulled on his trainers, forgoing the tape, and tied his scarf around his neck.

"C'mon babe you aren't leaving alread...OUCH."

Sonic felt the brief impact of Staci trying to wrap herself around his neck, but as a bandicoot she had no idea how to do it without pricking herself. He couldn't help but smirk as he thought of how Amy had it down to a fine art. He quickly caught himself before he could think too fondly of his pink ex.

"I gotta go," he mumbled, and before she could protest further he was out the door and on the way to his hut. When he got there though he realised the reason he had ended up at the twins was because the place he called home no longer felt welcome. It had always been virtually empty, he used it mostly to sleep in. During the day he was out and about or enjoying the creature comforts and either Tails or Amy's.

He wasn't going to go back to Staci in the same evening. She had delusions of grandeur and was convincing herself she was more to him than just sex. If he could have merged the twins together it would have been perfect, Perci had the heart and Staci had the desire to give him what he wanted.

Amy had now been gone for fifteen days. The villagers had noticed her absence and he had long since given up being polite. At first they had all stuck with the story that she was visiting family in her home town. The more curious members of the village had decided this information wasn't enough and they were pestering them all as to when she would return and which family she had gone to see. Knuckles had already forgotten where she really was and believed the family story himself. Tails was being the most patient with the tirade of questions, but as he would brush them off with a poor excuse it was Sonic who found himself swamped. As Sticks spent most of her time buried in her hovel in a pit of anger it had been left up to Sonic to suffer. That day his patience had finally worn through.

"She shacked up with Shadow a couple of weeks ago," he had snapped. Whether it was the bitterness in his tone or the information itself, the villagers had quickly dispersed and left Sonic to his pain.

He looked down at the communicator on his wrist. He had tried to get through to her so many times he was starting to wonder if she even had it with her. In spite of the inevitable sound of her voice asking him to leave a message, he once again buzzed her name.

"Hey Ames, I know it's late and you like your beauty sleep, but if you get this you should know...Dave has suggested they put salad on the Meh Burger menu. So...something to come back for huh?"

He disconnected and kicked himself. There was a lot he wanted to say and to ask but he hadn't worked up the courage yet. The times he was angry it was probably a good thing, but the times he felt he was finally ready to vocalise what he felt for her he should have taken advantage of.

Succumbing to the weight of his sleepy head he dropped in to his hammock. He could still smell the sickeningly sweet perfume Staci wore on his fur. This had been the third time he had paid her a visit, the need for any form of contact outweighing his better judgement. She was always up for it, and their brief sessions in bed were the only time he could disconnect from his thoughts. The regret he felt afterwards was not enough to quell his need for physical release. He had fantasized about how he would spend a night with Amy, but these dreams never ended with him bolting from the scene. Amy was feisty and stubborn, but she had shrunk from his touch in the past. She was young and inexperienced true, but why couldn't she have given in to him?

"You're awake."

It was a statement more than a question. Sticks dragged herself in to his doorway and dropped herself down on to the floor. She had told them before how she was an insomniac and he had grown used to her popping in on him late at night.

"I noticed," he grumbled.

"You smell like sex," she said, matter of factly.

He cringed, "That's gross."

"You should be this end of it."

"Can I help you with something Sticks?!"

She sat up, back turned from him, and hummed for a long while.

"You know where all the parts are obviously, but how much do you know about the female of the species. YOUR species."

Sonic continued keeping his gaze skyward, already too tired to pay her much heed, "This one of those 'there is no answer' questions."

She sighed heavily, "Yea that's about what I expected of you. It's no wonder we lost Amy."

All at once he was wide awake and on his feet, "You're blaming me?"

She didn't turn round, "Men in general. You for not knowing enough, Shadow for knowing too much, Eggman for making her think he knew what he was talking about. You all made a mess of it."

Sonic clenched his fists to try and calm his anger. Instead he sat himself near her and looked out on to the black ocean as she was. He waited until she spoke again, knowing she couldn't hold in what was eating away at her.

"We're very isolated out here. I love it, sure we all love it, but our education is a bit lacking. I had very open parents and I learned the darker side of nature right from a young age. Sonic, do you know what happens when a female is in heat."

He raised his eyebrows, and attempted to hide his lack of knowledge under his attitude, "It's when they want to get bizay."

Sticks turned to him and rolled her eyes deeply.

"What? Am I wrong."

"I guess not, but you're missing the point here. It's not so much that they want to, it's more like a need to. It's pretty easy to take control of, after a while anyway, unless you're a slut like Staci."

"Hey."

"Calls it as I sees it. I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but Amy had just come in to heat for the first time. She was out of control of her 'need to get bizay'," she said, doing the air quotes with her fingers, "but the bigger issue was you, blue."

"I don't...we didn't..."

"No but you would have. She was giving off indications she wanted to mate with you even if she didn't mean to. It was literally in her scent, and cause it's new for you to smell that from a hedgehog there was every chance YOU wouldn't have had much common sense either...well even less than usual."

Sonic thought back to that last meeting in the woods. How he had craved touching her, the way his instincts threatened to launch a full assault on her. In his minds eye he saw her scared and weak under his claws. What might he have done had he not run away? Had he not still been able to see a sliver of her heart through his need for her body.

"That's why she wanted time to herself?"

"She didn't know exactly how much it was going to take over her inhibitions but she wanted to feel safer. I told her to go...I didn't think...you could be trusted," Sticks replied, her last words falling in to a whisper.

Sonic rose to his feet, his anger once again bubbling to the surface like boiling water in a pot.

"Me? You think I would...against her will? How could you think that?"

Sticks stood up too, half his height but a formidable presence all the same, "I was wrong okay? It's not like you've shown you aren't willing to give in to a bit of tail."

"Don't you dare bring that up, it's not the same."

"No it's not, but what if you had made it the same? What if after the two weeks was over and her pheromones stopped calling out, you were no longer interested but she wanted more? What would that have done to the two of you."

He tried to respond but he was far from ready to, and all he managed was a few childish scoffs. The pair of them fell silent, the air heavy with accusations and guilty confessions. The sound of the ocean was melancholy and the fading light from the one lit torch highlighted the furrowed brows of the two comrades. It was Sonic who broke first.

"Do you think Shadow..."

"No,' she quickly interjected, "but I've thought about it a lot. We don't know much about him but he isn't a novice. He would know what was going on with her, but he also knows she's too young to have much experience dealing with those feelings."

"Then if we are sure he didn't take her to...take advantage...why has she not come home?"

Sticks bowed her head, and bit down on her lip hard before she was able to utter the words that were burning her mouth, "He doesn't have to force anything, if she's getting exactly the kind of care she was after...that you couldn't provide."

* * *

On the twenty second day, Sonic left Amy one final message. Through a drunken haze he had just about managed to call her, and after the designated sound of her chirpy voice asking him to leave a message he slurred the words he would never be able to retract.

"Hope you're happy Ames, because I am having a ball. In fact, both my balls are having a ball ha. Staci has been riding this train for days now, she's got a thing for me and mah thing," he laughed hysterically for a moment before carrying on, "so Shadow of all hedgehogs? Was it the chest fuzz that did it? He make you feel goooood in all the right places with his magical powers? Hmph thas bullshit. But good luck with that, I'm sure you found a way to make him smile? Lemmie guess, sucking on his..."

He passed out midway through his ramble. When morning came his communicator was dead and his memory was black, and after throwing up several times he couldn't shake the feeling he had done something very wrong.

* * *

On the twenty seventh day, Amy strolled out of the woods. On her leg was a feint scar, almost lost in the minute cuts and bruises scattered across her limbs. In one hand was her trademark red headband, now split in two, and in the other was her communicator, blinking brightly to indicate it was about to run out of power. She walked with her head held high but a bitter, unrelenting scowl plastered across her little face. Her eye were focused on the back of one oblivious blue head, and even once he turned round to lock with her stare, she didn't once blink.

"Ames, you're..."

Those were the only words he stuttered before she punched him so hard she knocked him out cold.

* * *

"Shadow...can we please take a break? I'm still sore."

"Hmph, stop trying to get out of this. I told you to stop focussing on the pain."

She groaned, "We've been at it for hours, I can't think straight, I can barely stand up!"

"Fine, but just lie there for a while and get your energy back. I'm not done with you."

Amy closed her eyes and felt her body relax in to the grass as his outline receded. Taking big gulps of air to try and get her heart race back to normal, she let the sweet smell of nature carry her away. The sun was starting to set on her first week under Shadow's capture and she both loathed and loved the times he left her alone. The darkness crept over this land quickly and with it came a fear she hadn't known since she was a child. By default the night would change him from her torturer to her carer.

Perhaps torturer was too strong a word. He never pushed her beyond a threshold she could manage, he was careful to not cause too much damage, but she was still bruised all over. In the back of her mind there was a little voice that kept reminding her she had chosen to remain with him, but the ache in her joints urged her to run all the same.

"Ready?"

She jolted at the sudden sound of his husky voice. Part of his training was encouraging her not to rely on her sight so much, which was why they were fighting in the dark. Had he been any normal creature she would easily have sensed his approach, but he moved as lightly as the breeze.

Rising to her feet, she brushed the grass off the back of her long legs and faced him, "Am I ever?"

He shifted his stance and raised his fists, "You will be."

He charged. He aimed straight for her but she was starting to understand the distracting way he fought, and she raised her arm swiftly to block the kick he aimed at her right shoulder. He had popped her left one out a few days previously and though he could easily place it back he avoided another direct hit. After blocking the impact she ducked down and rolled backward, taking advantage of his exposed back to sink the ball of her hand in to his lower back. The impact wasn't hard enough, and grabbing her wrist he yanked her back to the front of him, whipping his arm around her neck in the process.

"Snap," he whispered in to her ear, squeezing her neck with his free hand.

"Stop saying that," she growled, and freed herself from his grip, "you know there probably aren't that many creatures out there wanting to snap my neck."

"No," he sighed, and before she knew what had happened he was holding her in a tight embrace, one hand pressed in to her backside and the other holding her face barely an inch away from him, "but how many of them want this."

It wasn't the first time he had held her so intimately. The first time, as she had discovered, had been that evening at the waterfall. The second was when he had used his Chaos Control to transport them to this faraway valley, but that had ended with her throwing up at his feet as the dizziness of the whole event had swirled her body.

The third time was the reason she was still there with him.


	7. A Conflict of Feeling

_Typical isn't it? I write this story on the basis Amy never met Shadow in the Boom cartoon, and he's now going to appear in the final two episodes. I doubt much will happen that mean I need to edit this story, but just keep this in mind if you are reading this once those final episodes have aired._

 _Anyway, the setting I have made up on my own. Originally I was going to base the location on one of the original game levels, but it didn't play out as I hoped, so it's my own work._

 _Amy's hammer frustrated me to write about, because I wasn't sure if in the Boom universe she can call it out of nothing like she can elsewhere. But as that seems to be the canon, it is used here._

 _But the characters, they belong to Sega, the Boom team et al._

* * *

"You, you pervert!" she screamed, staggering to her feet, the shame of being sick so suddenly paling in comparison to realising it was Shadow she had nearly succumbed to that night. She called her Piko hammer to hand, and had already swung her arm before realising her palm was still empty. Screaming in frustration she tried again but still her hammer failed to appear. As he walked towards her she swung a fist instead but it fell short.

"Get away you..." she started, but lost her balance and fell flat on her back.

"Well that was quite a show. Are we done?"

He was looking down at her, and for all the blind rage that was building up she was also still shamefully aroused by the whole situation. He looked so powerful from her angle, and in her minds eye she could see him lying down in the grass beside her...

"What do you...want to do with me?" she sighed, kicking herself for her less than subtle wording.

"Finish patching up that wound in your leg," he replied, indicating down her body. Unable to lift her head she lifted her leg in to view, blood pouring down from her calf and down her thigh. He grabbed on to her ankle, and under the assurance of his tight grip she passed out.

* * *

She came to some hours later. Enough time must have passed, for the room she was in was dark and eerily quiet, but it had been morning when they first arrived. She was in a spacious bed, and though the quilts were soft she felt little comfort. On first instinct she threw back the covers to check her leg, finding the wound neatly patched up and the dried blood cleaned off.

She felt a chill and wrapped the covers back around herself. She was dressed in the clothing she had worn in her forest, but a vest and shorts no longer matched her current surroundings. Picking up the covers with her she walked over to the window and looked out to this new world she found herself in. There was a large grassed area immediately outside the building, the odd firefly dancing over the ground providing little light. Beyond the clearing were woods, but they were not the ones she knew. The darkness was so absolute she could barely make out the outline of the first line of trees, and beyond that the forest was enveloped in the night. The thought of venturing in to them filled her with a childish fear, and she backed away from the shadows.

The room around her was plain, but it was no prison. There was a small table with a lamp and a glass of water to one side of the bed, and in the far corner a small chair by which her shoes stood. Had she been wearing them when they arrived?

There was no door, so carefully she felt her way along the wall until she could crane her head enough around the corner to look beyond her position. As her eyes adjusted to the dark she could see far enough to make out a small kitchen area and a table with one lonely chair. Much like her room though there were no creature comforts it was a perfectly functional area. Taking very careful steps she ventured further in to the alien surroundings.

It was here she detected two feint glows. Her nose finally picked up the scent of the dying embers she saw before her, tucked in the far end of the room. Next to the fire was a television, playing some old black and white film silently to itself. Without the sound it aided to the unnerving feeling the house was giving her and she walked around the sofa to turn it off and perhaps get the fire going again.

With a jolt of surprise it was then she noticed, finally, she wasn't alone. Flat on his back, one knee raised and one hand flopped behind his head, lay Shadow. His shoes and gloves were removed and his eyes were tightly shut, and she let out a quiet whoosh of breath.

For a minute, perhaps more, she silently watched him sleep. Even in this state he seemed to be frowning, but in his slumber it looked like he was in pain more than in a temper. His fur was so stark against the pale fabric of his makeshift bed, and even in this light the shock of fur on his chest was snowy white. Apart from their colouring it was one of the most distinguishing differences between him and Sonic. Lastly her eyes traced along the red streaks that dashed his limbs. Unusual markings for a hedgehog but somehow befitting him, the crimson faded to black along the back of his hands and his ankles.

In the absolute silence of the night she found herself drawn to her captor; the gentle rise and fall of his chest in time with the delicate sound of his sleepy breathing brought her the sign of life she so desired in the deafening silence. Worst of all, she could feel her more physical urges rising again and her laboured breathing echoed loudly in her ears. Before she could do something foolish she gently hopped across the room and leapt back in to the generous bed. Buried under the covers she tried in vain to block out the images of the two of them entwined and concentrate instead of the fact he had kidnapped her!

But that only added to the excitement of it all.

* * *

She only got a few hours sleep before she heard him calling her from outside, and not by her name. She was too groggy to respond properly and of all mistakes to make, she told "Sonic" to shut up and let her sleep.

If she were to hazard a guess, she would assume Shadow didn't take too well to being called by his nemesis name, as she found herself thrown over his shoulder, carried outside, and dumped on the damp morning grass. She called him a barrage of names as she got to her feet, the romantic images of the night before brushed away in a flick of her middle finger.

"Very childish, wouldn't the name Rose suggest a delicate flower?"

"Wouldn't the name Shadow suggest you're just an outline of someone else?"

"No, but it might mean I'm always behind you."

In a flash of light he vanished from sight, but in a second he reappeared directly behind her and with a swift kick sent her flying. Amy had become used to such impacts from years of fighting against Eggman and she was quickly on her feet and charging head back at the onyx fiend. When she tried again to call her hammer to her she found once more it was useless, but this time she was prepared and she aimed a high kick at his head. Without flinching he deflected the blow with his arm. Grabbing her vest with his other hand he flung her sideways and she landed with a painful thud.

"Wha...what is with you?" she cried, getting back to her feet, "isn't it enough you square up to Sonic every time you see him? What did I ever do to you?"

This time when he popped up behind her, he held her like he had that night. One hand carefully slid around her slender neck while the other knotted his fingers in to hers.

"You didn't resist," he replied, and she felt his breath hot against the back of her neck, "you want me, rosebud."

Amy was pent up, but this time there was no sexual desire burning through her; this time she was nothing but thorns. With her free hand she reached to the side of his head and grabbed a handful of quills, pulling them toward her. He growled in pain, and had she not been so enraged she may have been empathetic, but the red mist had thoroughly descended. She kept her strangle hold as he let go, and she used this rare upper hand to pull him down until he was bent over backward, only being held up by resting on her arm. She had always been stronger than she looked.

"You keep thinking that," she breathed through bared teeth, and she dropped him on his back and walked toward the forest. Even in the daylight it was black but she would not be deterred this time.

"Wait," he cried, "I wouldn't try going any further."

She carried on regardless but called back, "You can't stop me. I'm going back."

"Even if I can't, they will."

She halted. As she stared in to the darkness she realised what she thought were shadows were actually alive. Black silhouettes moved about between the trees, and though they had no eyes she could feel they were all looking at her. Even in the light of day she suddenly felt very cold and she slowly backed away. Shadows hands were upon her shoulders, but it was a gentle grip of reassurance and her anger and fear subsided.

"What are they?" she asked, trying to stifle the quake in her voice.

"You will figure it out on your own. Once you have trained here for a while, you can face them."

She turned to look at him. His red eyes softened as they made contact with hers and she felt very weary again.

"Trained?"

"There are bigger things in this world to fight, Rosebud. If you stay here I will help you learn to fight more than just machines and man."

"What more is there?"

He looked over her shoulder and in to the woods, unable at that time to tell her what he could see. Monsters came in all forms, she would need to learn to not see him as one if they were to progress further.

"Why would you stay in a place surrounded by those things?"

"You can't get out, and nothing can get in. Unless you're me. I have to go. Stay in the house, gather your strength, I want to really see what this Bud is capable of."

* * *

Their first official training session didn't end too well. Amy had sat in the middle of Shadow's house not knowing what to do with herself. She had approached the forest that surrounded them on all sides from every angle, and each time she got close she felt the hidden eyes fall upon her. They would scuttle in between the trees and whisper to each other, scrutinizing her and discussing her amongst themselves. She felt there was no possible way they were on a natural plain of existence any more and her isolation was terrifying.

She had time to think too, and that was even worse. She had been kidnapped by this virtual stranger but the scorching heat of her overbearing lust made it hard to focus on the negatives. She was away from Sonic and that was a good thing, but Shadow wasn't a far cry from her blue hero, and if he was a loner as they all assumed then maybe he couldn't control his passions either. Could she if he was offering himself to her?

He reappeared in a flash of light late in the afternoon. Amy was a bundle of nerves and anger and frustration and she blindly charged at him, unsure if she was going to kill or kiss him. Taken off guard he hadn't prepared for an attack and she floored him, literally. Flat on his back, Amy pounded at his chest and screamed at him for taking her away. He grabbed both her wrists and held her arms crossed in front of her. She couldn't pull free and screamed and writhed until she began to burn out. She was a complete mess and he didn't know how to handle her.

"Why am I here? Why do you think I need training?"

"I won this fight already," he pointed out.

"I could still take you if I wanted to," she snarled.

He flashed a very quick grin and pulled her hands to lay flat on either side of his head. Her shocked face was now close to his and he heard her emit a pitiful little whimper. He let go of her wrists and with the very tips of his fingers he gently stroked one hand up her arm. She blushed playfully and her face lowered closer to his.

Inbetween her shoulder blades was her weak spot. While male hedgehogs had spines on their back, females had a small patch of slightly thicker fur and skin, virtually invisible to the naked eye. With one tight pinch Amy drooped like a wilted flower and he was able to easily drop her on her side. He kept a tight grip until he was on his feet, pulling her up with him, like a dog with a disobedient pup. When he let go she fell right back to her knees and she took in a deep gulp of air and she tried to breath. She gasped and coughed as if she had been holding her breath. When he heard her sob a couple of times he stepped back in surprise. She wasn't meant to be doing that.

"What is wrong with you?" he snapped.

"Couldn't...fight," she gasped, "flashbacks...Lyric!"

He grimaced. He too had been under the control of Lyrics device, but while he was used to battle, Amy had been caught in Lyrics lair. She had fought well at the time, so he hadn't thought anything about stirring up those memories. An apology would not be coming, not in as many words anyway.

"You want to be stronger than this? Spend some time here and you will be able to fight inside and outside. Don't be so weak!"

Still gasping, but finally calming down, Amy rose to her feet and looked squarely at him.

"Where do I sign?"


	8. All of Him

_Another double upload, but chapters 7 and 8 blend together in preparation for what follows._

 _The forest, hmm. Those that dwell within were originally silent, like the ghostly Hattifatteners from the Moomins. But spooky as that was it was too easily ignored, and things evolved from there. The next chapter explores them deeper, but in their present form, the little horrors image can be left up to you. They are whatever you think you see in the dark at night._

 _Also, because we (yet) have little history for Shadow, I'm using references from arcs that use Team Dark. Also since Shadow has the edgiest edgy theme, "I Am...All of Me" by Crush 40, the lyrics influenced the final part of this chapter. Deep, dark days ahead._

 _Shadow and Amy do not belong to me, that lucky fate belongs to Sega and the Boom Team._

* * *

The week had been exhausting to say the least, both emotionally and physically, but for all her falls she could also sense she was fighting better. She could calculate moves better when she wasn't relying on her hammer, and under Shadows tutelage she had learned to use her acrobatic skills as a threat as opposed to just getting herself out of a bind. He could still pin her and twist her at dangerous angles but he never once pushed her too far. He would vanish for most of the day and in the evening and though she didn't know where he went he would reliably return with food. She got to cook for him, and though she never received a thanks he always ate everything she made.

Here they were, a full week later, his hand curved around her ass and his lips tantalizingly close to hers. Her brain dissolved in to a useless mass whenever she came this close to him, but usually they were battling and one of them would attack. The sunset had become twilight and the world was silent, bar the sound of her heart beat in her ears. He didn't move closer, but he didn't relax his grip either, and she sensed he was leaving it up to her exactly where this would lead.

"Aaaaaaaamy."

She squeaked in surprise at the whisper that blew through her ear. Shadow immediately let her go but kept a questionable eye on her. She stared straight back at him but knew the voice had not been his.

"Where are you my love?"

She shrunk from the sound and covered her ears. It was coming from the forest; the nightmarish creatures coming to life as the last of the sunshine faded from the horizon. She thought she had heard them once or twice before, but they had never been this clear.

"What is it?" Shadow asked, standing close to her. She leaned closer to him.

"I don't know, it sounds like...I know it's them but it sounds so like..." she whimpered. Homesickness crashed over her in a wave, laced with guilt that she had come so close to giving up on her loyalty to her blue hero. Her friends had crossed her mind so briefly since she had left them, so focussed was she on herself she had let so much time pass without letting them know she was safe. They must have been so worried about her and here she was picturing herself getting down and dirty with their one time enemy.

"Shadow, can you take me back?"

He folded his arms in front of him, "You want to go back now? You aren't ready."

"How do you know?"

"Your demons still plague you."

She dropped her gaze from him to the floor. Their words were hidden but she could still hear the whispers from the woods surrounding them.

"Can I at least let them know I'm okay? I could go home, grab a few books, I feel like I spend the day vegging out in front of that TV until you come back."

He frowned deeper, but she looked too pitiful to say no to.

* * *

The Chaos Control method Shadow used to flick between places was handy but she did not like the feeling. It was like every molecule of her body being spun in a different direction from the other. This time he held her steady as in a blink they were stood in her hut. The familiar smells of her plants and the sea and the varnished wood of her beautiful sofa hit her first as her eyes worked their way in to focus.

Shadow was used to the effects of Chaos, so it was himself who noticed Sonic asleep on Amy's couch. The blue hedgehog was not enjoying a peaceful sleep, and deep in the pit of his feelings there was a pinch of empathy. But too, he found himself feeling a new jealousy as he watched his pink companion walk over to her old flame.

A voice in her head was screaming at her to wake Sonic up. The pained expressions his face was contorting in to were nearly enough to make her weep. Logic won out; Sonic was clearly already in a poor state and seeing her paired up with Shadow would not end well. She quickly scooped up a few home comforts, and before they left she lay a hand carefully on Sonic's muzzle. His writhing stopped, so she quickly lay down the letter she had penned by the TV (he would notice it there) and she allowed Shadow to carry her away.

* * *

The following days were less tedious with books to read. She could delve in to a book further than she could a TV show and it quietened her thoughts. She was still a sucker for romance and her novels swept her away to lands of knights and genies and creatures who became monsters at night. Of course she could only ever picture her hero in a blue form, but creeping in at the edges was his shadow.

She did not know what he did during the hours he was gone. There had been a couple of days he hadn't returned at all, and the nights alone had drawn on and on. The whispers of the forest called to her; using her friends voices to try and lure her in. Why of all places Shadow had chosen this supernatural patch of land to house himself was still a mystery to her. When he returned after his short absence, she hated him for leaving her to the horrors on the edge of her minds eye. This evaporated when she would see he was wounded and she tended to him immediately.

"You don't have to do that, I will heal quickly without any aid, I am the Ultimate..."

"...thorn in my side. Shut up and let me at least clean you up."

"Fine, but try not to cause more damage with those cumbersome digits of yours."

She growled at him but carried on dabbing at his wounds. Not that he could tell her so but her enjoyed her delicate touch. Rouge may have been concerned for his wellbeing but she was as hard as the diamonds she craved. He had rarely come back to his house, choosing to sleep at work or in the wilds somewhere, but knowing Bud would be there made it feel more like a home. He was fond of her.

The respect he had found for her didn't mean his desire to physically own her had gone away. Her movements when fighting him were graceful and there was a spark in her eye when she thought she had the upper hand that stirred up the animal inside him. He knew she was weak at times too, that her ravenous need to mate could only be kept at bay by tiring her out for so long. He knew too she still foolishly pined for Sonic, but it was below him to reveal to her the blue idiots escapades. Not only would it hurt her, but it would break her final barrier to him, and as much as he wanted that it was the dishonest way.

He had caught her listening to messages on her communicator. He had permitted her to bring it if it was only going to be used in a dire emergency. The look on her face had brought him to a standstill, and he hid from view as she had quietly cried to herself.

"I don't like being left alone here," she sighed, gently cleaning a wound on his shoulder, "this place feels strange."

"Does it look like I had much of a choice," he lightly growled back.

"If you weren't so stubborn about keeping to yourself and got yourself a communicator you could have at least warned me."

"Why should I have to do that?"

"Even Sonic isn't so brash he does let me know he's okay."

Shadow fell silent again and she bit her lip lightly. She didn't intend to say the forbidden 'S' word, but the reaction she received this time was much less defensive than it had been. When she had first arrived she had slipped Sonic's name in to conversation more than she even realised she was doing, and he had chastised her for it. Even when she was away from him he was the main focus of her imagination and Shadow was simply trying to break that. She wanted it to be broken.

"I just want you to let me in," she sighed, unable to stand his silence any longer, "I want to know you, on a deeper level."

"We are going in to the forest."

She dropped the tape she had been using to bandage him up, "The...now?"

He didn't respond with words but he grabbed her hand, pulled off her glove so their bare palms were touching, and dragged her out in to the night. She protested and tried to pull away but his resolve was stronger.

"I know what's in there," she cried, "I can't face them head on yet."

"We aren't here to see your demons"

She finally stopped pulling against him and gripped his hand tighter, "You still see them? Why do you stay here?"

He turned to look at her, his fiery orbs glowing in the pale light of the moon, "To ground myself. Keep hold of my hand, if we stop making contact you will be lost to your own fears."

Using her teeth she yanked off her other glove and wrapped her bare hand around his arm, while she locked the fingers of her other hand with his. She let him lead her towards the nightmare ahead but her legs trembled all the same. The whispers grew louder as they approached the edge of the trees, but they were not voices she recognised.

He pulled her close to his side, "They cannot physically hurt you Bud, they feed of the fear of their victims. You want to know me? Then buckle up."


	9. The Dark Shadows Enveloped Her

_Typically, though I wrote this a little while ago, we are just a few hours from Shadow finally showing up in Boom again. But what the heck, I probably wouldn't rewrite too much even after seeing the new episodes. Again keeping this in mind, my Boom!Shadows history is based on previous canon games. In Sonic the Comic (not the Archie series) Shadow was created using Sonics genes? Really, look it up._

 _Now, roughly 3/4 of the way through this chapter I'm going to break to add an extra warning, but I don't want you to read it here and spoil anything._

 _Sonic et al were created by Sonic Team and the fantastic Boom writers. The forest creatures are my imagination._

* * *

She stayed glued to him and they broke the barrier between reality and purgatory. Even the reassuring heat from his body and the grip of his hand could not stop her shaking. She wanted to turn and run so much she could physically feel herself twisting, but the promise of breaking the riddle that was Shadow the Hedgehog steadied her resolve.

Her ear caught a sound and they stopped walking. It was the sound of several male voices, angry sounds, commanding them to stop. At least she had thought they were aimed at her. Out of the black she saw a human girl running towards them. Amy knew little about humans outside of Eggman, but the girl was clearly only a child. She tore passed them, her face full of fright and tears streamed off her cheeks. Almost within a heartbeat the men behind the voices appeared, soldiers with guns, several of them. There was no way they didn't intend the girl harm and the hero in Amy jumped forward.

"Stop!" Amy cried, but they didn't hear her.

"Nothing will stop them. Just watch, don't react," Shadow told her, his voice sounding lower and weaker than usual.

The sound of the gunshot rang painfully in her ears. She knew that sound, but she turned even colder when she saw their target. In horror she watched in horror as the girl fell, blood staining her delicate blue dress a sickening crimson hue. The men evaporated in to the air, leaving Amy, Shadow and the ghost child. The girl reached a bloodied hand out in their direction and Amy felt her stomach fall.

"Sha...dow. Why...did you let them...do this to me," the human girl choked, her pretty face twisted in agony.

Amy took a step towards her but Shadow yanked her back to his side, "You cannot do anything. I have tried. The consequences of making contact with it are not worth repeating."

Amy coughed back a sob, "Is this a memory?"

He closed his eyes to the ghost girl, "It is a warped memory. Maria was lost to the cruelty of mankind. She rescued me before they took her. There was no way I could not stop them, but I still blame myself. The creatures of this forest...know that."

Unable to look at the child's slow demise any longer, Amy looked away. Even as the light of the scene faded and they were once again in darkness she couldn't remove that face from her minds eye. She felt a small squeeze of reassurance in her hand, and she realised the pain she was feeling must have been tenfold for Shadow.

"She looks so real. Why does she reach out to us if it's just a ghost?"

"They aren't ghosts, yet at the same time they are. When I was looking for a place to settle I felt drawn to this spot, drawn in to the woods. They hunger for fear and anger. They will do anything to get it, so they try to engage you."

"I'm so sorry," she gasped, "if I had known..."

"All or nothing Bud. We are not backing out of this now. The only way out now is to face this. Weaken them, clear a path"

She took in a breath to reply when the eerie glow shone again. In a clearing appeared the image of Sonic, years younger than he was now, closely followed by Shadow. Or at least, a much younger Shadow. They were even more alike as children for the hardships of life had not buried this Shadow under it's cloud.

"You can't catch me," the blue baby taunted, "slow poke, can't keep up."

"Hey wait!," young Shadow called after him, but the streak of blue had already disappeared in to the surrounding black. Amy noticed the young Shadow was wearing normal pumps, not the super powered shoes she had come to associate with him.

"You will never speak of this to him."

She laughed, "Somebody certainly has been keeping secrets. I can't believe you two knew each other as kids."

"We didn't. This isn't a memory."

She turned to look at him and young Shadow faded from view, "I don't understand."

His eyes met hers briefly but quickly looked away, "I have no recollection of childhood. I have no recollection of anything before..."

She jumped back, nearly losing her grip of his hand, as a monstrous glass tube appeared before them. Suspended in the liquid within was Shadow as she knew him, but his eyes were vacant. A wisp of smoke drifted next to the tube and morphed in to two figures. One looked like Eggman, but much older and less colourful. Next to him formed a horned mass she could not begin to comprehend. It wasn't like anything she had seen before and his sheer size was intimidating.

"This is all happening so fast," she whispered.

"That's because they're frustrated. It's been a long time since they got a reaction from me. I've seen all this before, after all."

"He will be powerful, he will be strong, he will be forever connected to us," the demon hissed in a voice that rumbled through their otherwise silent surroundings.

"He will protect us," the Eggman look-alike added. But he was met with a harsh laugh.

"Fool, he is a weapon, and that is all he ever will be. Awake, Shadow, my creation!"

The glass shattered and Amy raised a hand to shield herself, but all the world went dark and she was left standing next to the real hedgehog who had come from that terrifying vision. When he had fought them in the past she had never known why he hated she and her friends so much, or why he was taking orders from Eggman who he clearly had little tolerance for.

"Stay with me Bud," he whispered, "don't let go. No matter what you see now, you must hold on to me."

Her breathing was becoming heavy as her heart thundered in her chest. She needed this to all be over, she needed the time to gather her thoughts and feelings, but she was denied such luxury as more images swept in to view. She could see Shadow again, but a light around him burned bright and she could barely make out the figures who were also part of the scene. A robot, and a white bat, strangers to her but they were pleading with the ghost Shadow.

"Stop!" cried the female bat, "Don't you remember us? We're your teammates!"

"Affirmative," chimed the robot, "please do not destroy us. We are friends."

The ghost Shadow was not deterred, "I am not a friend, I am not a team mate, I am just a weapon."

There was a blinding flash, a scream of pain, and the entire image was gone.

Amy realised she was holding her breath. Her hand ached as she realised Shadow had her in a death grip. It was at that point she noticed she had stepped back from him as far as she could. The scene before her had shaken her, not knowing what were his real memories and what was the creatures false nightmare visions.

"One more," he growled, and pulled her back to him.

Amy let out a sob of surprise and anguish as her own image appeared before her. The ghost of her was older, pink quills swept on top of her head, and cradled in her arm was a squirming baby hoglet. She was cooing at the child, making it giggle, and the real Amy felt a pang inside her she had never known before.

"Here comes Daddy," ghost Amy laughed.

Shadow appeared, his ghost not far removed from the real one stood beside her, but he looked like a far happier soul. He smiled at the Mother and child, kissing them both on the forehead. They stood peacefully for a moment, before the world was shattered. Out of the trees came demons, aliens, so many black monsters who consumed Shadow in one fell swoop. He cried at ghost Amy to run, but she too was soon wrapped in tentacles from nameless sources. The baby was screaming as ghost Amy was swallowed by the black mass, and ghost Shadow was left to watch as his child was carried away and he succumbed to the claws that tore in to his flesh.

There was a shrill scream, and as the scene vanished in a flash Amy, the real one, realised it was her own.

"They will not take her from you, they will not take her from me!" she cried, unable to stop herself from giving in to the burning anger and fear. She could hear the rustle of excited whispers as the night demons rejoiced in her pain, but before they could reach her she was engulfed in the strong arms of the hedgehog by her side. In a flash, they were both stood in front of the fireplace in his home. He did not let her go, and in the safety of his sure embrace, she gave in to the tears.

* * *

She wrapped her hands around the warm mug as he offered it to her. The tears had finally subsided but she still shook, even wrapped in a blanket in front of a roaring fire. Her throat was parched so they both sat in silence as she slowly drank her tea. Finally, Shadow spoke.

"I'm...sorry," he croaked.

"Don't be," she mumbled back.

Silence again.

"What was real. Why was..."

"If I had known that last vision would include you, I wouldn't have made you face it."

Amy turned sideways to look at him, "Was that...new?"

He didn't return her stare but carried on looking in to his drink, "No, but she has never had a face before. I thought they were more symbolic, a vision of personal loss. Perhaps it is more literal than that. I don't even know if I am able to breed if I wanted to."

She considered his comment but did not push further. Instead she asked "The monsters that took me...I mean, her...what were they?"

"It's already been a long night Bud, maybe you should..."

"Tell me!"

He felt a flare of anger at her command, but looked back at her tear stained face he felt she had seen enough already to know the truth. She had not run from him yet, and though she was tearful now, she had shown strength in the face of the forest demons.

"I was created. At least, I think I was. Whether I was moulded from scratch, or I was just another hedgehog who was used as a base, I don't know. Dr Robotnik, Eggman's Grandfather, he brought me to life."

"Eggman? Does he know about this?"

"No, but his Grandfather had once been a good man. It took me a while to find out, but I was made to help cure disease. The Ultimate Life Form, incapable of succumbing to illness and death. Specifically, the disease that was killing his Granddaughter, Maria."

"The human girl."

"Humans are stupid, fearful creatures. When they discovered my existence they moved in to destroy the Doctors work. Maria, she got caught in the crossfire. She made sure I would survive so her Grandfathers work wasn't completely forgotten."

"Maria was a child, how is Eggman that much older if they are siblings?"

"My escape pod acted as a stasis tube. I was asleep for nearly fifty years."

Amy began to feel her head grow heavy with too much data, "Then, those monsters."

"Black Doom. Aliens. The other worldly properties were a key ingredient is giving me my powers. They are in my blood, I am connected to them. Robotnik had no idea just how evil they were, for their intention was to use me as a weapon right from the beginning."

Amy stood abruptly and walked over to the fire. Staring in to the flames she tried to burn out the image of Shadow mercilessly killing his teammates. In his fights with Sonic she had seen how he wanted to beat him, but she would never have believed he could kill him. The bat's screams of pain rang so loudly still in her ears.

"What you are picturing never leaves my mind!" he snapped suddenly. The fear of opening up to anyone beyond Rouge and Omega had always seemed logical, but he had believed this Amy Rose had more conviction in the good of people then to let his past taint him.

"I destroyed Black Doom, but their blood will always run through my veins, and as such if I ever choose to have a family..."

"I'm going to bed," she interrupted and practically flew from the room. She had no door to hide behind so she buried herself under the covers. Ignoring the sound of a mug smashing, in to the fireplace from the sound of it, she bit down on her finger to stifle a sob.

* * *

Hours passed, and once the house had fallen silent she peeled back the covers. The visions would not leave her head, and the guilt she felt at running from Shadow burned through her. She didn't even know why she had walked away from their conversation. She had asked to know him, and through it all she had no regrets, but it was so much to process. It was no wonder he thought they were all so naive; the world had just expanded to other dimensions right in front of her. Her fairly simple life in her village, with her friends, with her love...they seemed a million miles away from her. She pined for her childhood and her simple crush and her home comforts.

What she needed was physical contact to bring her back to the worldly plain. Shedding the safety of the covers she tip-toed back in to the main room, unsure if he was still there. She could see the remains of the smashed mug amongst the embers of the dying fire and wondered if it was best to leave him alone anyway.

When she saw him asleep on the sofa, as he always did, she knew now was not the time to shy away from her instincts. The red stripes in his quills and fur were far more alien than she could have imagined, but they were such a part of him she couldn't picture them gone. The fleeting image of the baby her ghost had held earlier also sported a red stripe down the centre of her head. The genes he would pass on to his child.

Carefully she sat in front of the sofa and took in his sleeping image. The ghost Shadow had looked so happy to see his family. Amy knew she was only part of that vision because she was at the forefront of his mind at that time, but all the same they made a nice trio. She was years away from wanting children yet, but tonight was the first time she had felt longed for that time to come sooner. Hormones were a funny thing, her body was calling for her to mate but her mind was far from ready from having children.

Much as she had done with Sonic before, she brushed fingers gently across his muzzle. The feeling of his breath on her fingers was so reassuring, so warming, that before she realised what she was doing she was leaning over him and planting a kiss delicately on his lips.

When his hand slid behind her head to hold her in place she was not startled. They remained frozen in that delicate moments for too long, and out of discomfort and desire she couldn't help but manoeuvrer herself so she lay on top of him. His strong body below hers did not feel dangerous or alien, it felt like the safest place to be. As he began to explore her mouth further, the nightmares of their adventure melted in to the backdrop. He tasted like brandy, a favourite tipple of his she had learned, but it's vaguely oak and crisp taste encapsulated him so perfectly. She wanted to think of nothing more than the sensations she was feeling right there and then.

* * *

 ** _Okay, your extra warning, because here comes some smut. You do not need to read it to progress to the next chapter so you can easily skip. Also, this is a Sonamy ship, we're hitting rocky waters, but you have to carry on sailing with me to reach the shore._**

* * *

Breaking away from him she lifted her head to look in to his eyes, "I need more," she breathed.

His teeth clenched in his jaw, he had already pushed a boundary and though his body was aching to proceed he looked away, "we can't."

She was not going to be denied, not tonight, so she sat up to lean all her weight on his hips, "we can."

He balled his fists and fought against the desire growing where their bodies connected, "you aren't in the right state of mind."

"Maybe I'm bored of thinking with my mind. Maybe I want my body to talk," she purred, twisting her hips harder in to him.

"Stop that," he barked, grabbing her at the waist and lifting her so they no longer making contact. Her fingers tangled in to his chest fur and there was a flash of anger in her beautiful eyes. Just as soon as it appeared, it deflated, and she looked sad once again.

"I want those images to go away," she whimpered.

She had got him. In those few simple words and in the fall of her shoulders his resolve was defeated. Scooting as far in to the back of the sofa as he could he helped her lay down flat on her back. There was conviction in her request, and if he could do anything at that moment it would be to wipe away the horrors he had originally thought were right to present her with. He leaned over and kissed her again, but his finger traced a line down the front of her body. He didn't know how far she had gone before with a male, but her moans did not quiver. He paused when he reached the hem of her shorts, but she didn't even flinch at the intimate nature of his exploration, and he buried a couple digits under the fabric.

She broke their kiss with a light gasp, but she soon pulled him back in and kissed him even deeper than she had been. Her tongue was greedy but it was a reflection of her need to blot out everything but physical feelings. His fingers danced over her intimate spot and she was once again pulling away to gasp for air.

Never before had he found such desire in watching a partner enjoy the magic of his touch. His eyes never once left hers, but her lids fluttered like a butterfly. Her mews of pleasure were almost more than he could take, but this was all for her and his needs would have to wait. The hand she had buried in his white fur chopped and changed between a tight grip to trembling stroking, and he indulged in imagining that hand elsewhere.

As her yelps became more desperate he quickened his pace. He concentrated on the small hard mass that was so sensitive, each time he flicked it her face contorted. She was so absolutely at his mercy. As her hips bucked upward and her mouth formed an O he knew she was closed off from anything but physical pleasure and he grinned with satisfaction as with one final squeal she gave in to her orgasm.

He continued to watch as she rode out the crashes of her desire. He rested a hand on her stomach, wanting to keep contact, so even as her other senses were cut off she knew he was still there. With some difficulty he managed to lay back down himself and she curled up by his side, head resting on his chest. He was sure he felt a tear wet his fur, but rather than disturb her further he let her fall into a deep sleep.


	10. Our Time for Everything, I Call You

_Boom Shadow is a cold piece of work isn't he? I love him, but wow, dark edgy hedgy. I think I can still get away with his characterization in my story, it is set a few years after canon Boom and who knows what could happen in those years. He still wasn't given any past so again what I've written is based on game/comic canon._

 _Since I have been awful and not yet said so, THANK YOU for the reviews and the reads. It's nice to have people sticking with this. This chapter will catch you up timeline wise...basically Amy is about to hear Sonics drunken message. Much like the previous chapter too, we have smut ahead, which I will indicate further down so you can skip if you wish. There's also some language in this chapter too but this shouldn't be a surprise._

 _Sonic, Shadow, Amy are all the property of Team Sonic and the Boom creators. Lucky them._

* * *

She woke the next morning with a start. She was back in the familiar bed, the sun pouring in through the window, and the innocent sound of the birds singing their morning song. The world around her seemed at peace with itself and for a beautiful moment her mind was free.

After learning so much about Shadow, she wasn't sure if she knew him even less than she had before. She had a lot to work with, but he wasn't even sure what he was himself. She had seen in to his soul, and he dreamed of a childhood as a hedgehog, he feared being anything but. She felt for sure he must have been born to regular parents. If, like Sonic, he had shown stronger abilities than most creatures it would make sense to use his body as a base for the alien blood. It must have ravaged him to the core and loss of memory would follow such destruction. Did he challenge Sonic in a desperate need to feel alive? He had been so tender with her; he was more than a weapon. It was hard to look back on the times he had fought her and her friends with the same anger she had before. Now she looked for a reason buried in his shady past.

The shrill sound of her communicator calling to her snapped her from her trance. She had not been taking the calls, but if she caught them in time she would listen to the message left, just in case. So far it was mostly conversational messages from Tails and Knuckles, telling her about their day, battles with Eggman, saying they missed her. It was now nearly three weeks since she had left, and she knew if they asked she would be returned in a heart beat. But she was too deep in to things now, she had seen the real challenge awaiting her in those woods and she was not backing down.

She pressed for the message to play. It was Sticks, the first message from her since Amy had left.

"You aren't in season any more, so your brain can't be too scrambled by hormones now. You better be in love or having the best sex imaginable to leave us like this."

Amy made a sound akin to a puppy's yip. It was the sound of surprise mixed with anger. She didn't expect to hear from Sticks because even being her best friend, she knew the badgers insane fears of technology would put her off using the communicator more than necessary. She expected even LESS for her friend to say such a thing to her. Why assume that the only reason Amy hadn't come home was because she was...

Amy dropped her head in to her hands and she flushed as she recalled how her night had ended. Swept up in all the emotions the evenings had brought she had sought physical reassurance and Shadow had provided it. Her stomach danced with the enormity of what they had done, only now letting logic crawl in and whisper in her ear. What would become of her friendship with Shadow? What would her friends think? What would Sonic think?

Her blue hero had always been in the back of her mind. They had known each other for so long now and this had been the longest period she had ever been parted from him. She was sure he had no secrets from her and she had held on to the dream that they would finally end up together. She had only ever thought about him being her first experience and she was sure he hadn't looked at any other girls in that way. Or at least he wouldn't have acted upon it, he surely knew if he waited she would be ready.

Her body had betrayed her heart and her head. She knew it was a risk staying with Shadow, but without talking about it directly she knew he had felt guilt for nearly taking advantage those weeks ago. He wanted to teach her to fight against him so they could never have an interaction like that again; so that she could overpower her lust and only give in when she was sure and ready.

She had given in. There was no denying she had wanted it and that she loved every second; she had demanded and begged and he had eased the pain in her heart. How could something that had felt so right now seem so wrong. If what Sticks had said was true, and Amy could now sense it was, the desires that clouded her judgement had passed and she had lusted for the black hedgehog because she specifically wanted him.

She stormed in to the kitchen, made herself some breakfast, and sat at the small table she spent her mornings reading at. The pile of books that sat there had all been read, bar the one at the bottom. It was all about a subject she both loved and loathed. Ever since their battles with Lyric and the mech suit that had consumed Sonic she had trouble facing the texts again. It was beyond superstitious, she was scared of it, and now was the time to end that. The horrors of the wood, that kept her trapped but Shadow safe from his bigger demons, had been watching her for long enough now. It was time to fight back on her terms, face her innermost fears, and get herself back to Mr Know-It-All.

* * *

Shadow looked across the garden to face her. She was less poised for a fight than he had taught her be, but there was resolve in her eyes. She was not the Bud of the weeks before, this was the rose that had bloomed in front of him the night before. He hadn't known what to expect when he had returned that evening; he half hoped she wanted to leave. Now the barrier between them had been broken he feared she would no longer trust him, but here they were to face off in another combat.

She was sneakier than he had known her. With speed and silence she caught him off guard more than once and when she landed a blow she meant it. She smiled when she floored him and only laughed harder when he took the chance to trip her up. Flat on her back she laughed until she cried and only tried to calm herself when he lifted her to her feet.

"Did you know the ancients believed in creatures from other planets?"

He paused and looked questioningly at her, "Is that a joke at my expense?"

She laughed again, "No! I just find their civilisation fascinating. I have missed reading up on their society! They were surprisingly advanced if not a little blinded by their faith."

"You tackled the book you've been neglecting?"

She nodded, "When you found out you had been under Lyric's power you just got angry. I noticed he was not part of the nightmares we saw last night, you were never scared of him. I think he will be in mine though, so I'm learning to come to terms with what happened. He never broke me, much as he tried, I should be proud of that."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but nodded slowly, "It was strong magic that let him take over our minds, but you were stronger than him."

She turned and faced the woods, "You hear that you pitiful little puffs of cloud? This is the kind of female Shadow the Hedgehog will have in his life. If you think she would put up so little fight for their child then YOU ARE FUCKING WRONG!"

His mouth dropped open as he watched her skip back in to the house. The constant whispers in the woods fell completely silent and he chuckled to himself before following her inside. Whatever happened from now on, there was no need to worry about her any more.

* * *

Amy spent the next couple of days in harmony. She was still sparring with Shadow, but she finally felt like she could take him on. He was still holding back, she knew that (he hadn't once thrown her up in the air), but there wasn't much chance she would ever battle a creature as strong as him. The mental strength she had developed was the real weapon and the assurance that she was finally becoming the woman she wanted to become.

When her communicator beeped that evening, she decided to answer it. Shadow was gone already on his nightly jaunt, and she was up late enjoying the isolation. Up until that point she had feared it, now she indulged in the darkness. Sat on the sofa she answered as if it was going to her machine. Imitating the message to a tee, she waited for whoever it was to start talking so she could surprise them.

"Hope you're happy Ames, because I am having a ball. In fact, both my balls are having a ball ha. Staci has been riding this train for days now, she's got a thing for me and mah thing," there was a pause and some laughter, "so Shadow of all hedgehogs? Was it the chest fuzz that did it? He make you feel goooood in all the right places with his magical powers? Hmph thas bullshit. But good luck with that, I'm sure you found a way to make him smile? Lemmie guess, sucking on his..."

There was a clatter, followed by the sound of snoring, and for several minutes she sat staring at the sound, before finally disconnecting. She waited for the longest time waiting to feel something, anything, but she had gone completely blank. Her cup of tea went cold, the roaring fire turned to smoke and ash, her fingers grew sweaty around her communicator but all the while she sat still as a statue. She grew cold but she did not feel it, neither did she grow tired as the late night became the early hours. She was still sat there when Shadow returned.

"Bud? What are you doing up?"

Finally she turned her head. Every muscle in her body was sore and she realised she must have been tense for all this time. As her senses came back she was acutely aware of how strange she must have looked. She laughed.

"I have been stuck on a page in my book all evening, I guess I didn't realise the time."

He looked around, "It's black in here, and what book?"

Trying not to show how much it hurt to move, she stood up and shrugged, "Okay that might be a little lie. In truth, I was worried about you."

"...about me?"

"When you came back so damaged the other day I was worried. I couldn't sleep very well and once that little 'what if' got in there I couldn't shift it. It was silly I know but now you're back I think I can sleep soundly. No actually a warm shower will help, won't be long, goodnight."

It was feeble, but the emotions she had been waiting for were finally catching up to her. Sat in the floor of the shower cubicle she let the running water drown out the sound of her cries and wash away her salty, bitter tears. Unbeknownst to her, Shadow could still hear her over the running water and noticing she had been holding the communicator in her hand he concluded she was finally realising she wanted to leave. It was uncomfortable to think about.

* * *

Staci the Bandicoot. The evil twin. While Perci was just as stunning she was far more down to Earth and had proven to be a good friend to Amy. Staci on the other hand had only got more wicked with age and with a wink she could have any male she wanted on their knees. She wanted attention and she wanted fame and she wanted power and all that she could find in Sonic. Amy had tried to warn him so many times she was a succubus but Sonic had just patted her head and told her not to worry.

Not to worry, ha. There was no chance she would be doing that any time soon. So this is what males did when they did get what they wanted immediately. The more she thought about it the more the signs were there that he was breaking away from her. He never wanted to publicly acknowledge they were anything more to each other than just friends. He shirked signs of affection and he flirted with other girls and...just...ugh that stupid guy!

She was just as guilty of that stupidity though. Had she ever actually turned to Sonic and said 'Oh hey Sonic just so you know I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you but I'm just a kid and not sure what I can do with my feelings'. He was dumb, and she hadn't screamed it from the rooftops but she didn't expect that he would move on to someone else. Staci!

So what was a girl to do now? How was it that when she was with her friends they all thought she was pure as the fallen snow, easily mislead by her desires, but the moment she was away from them she was lust encapsulated. Even Sonic, who she had pushed away in the past when he got too grabby, assumed she had jumped right in to bed with Shadow. Yes she had wanted to and yes she had a moment of indiscretion but she had fought against her body's needs and come out the other end almost as clean as she had been when she arrived.

That meant however, there would be no loss if she did 'betray' their trust, for apparently they had none. She had lost a day to moping in bed, wasted time feeling sorry for herself.

There was no point in waiting any longer. It had taken every ounce of willpower to not give in to her desire again, in some foolish pit of loyalty she had buried herself in. She didn't dare confess that her mind went wild still with filthy thoughts whenever he brushed against her, but she knew he knew. The chemicals in her body had betrayed her, and though she was no longer in heat her body still desperately craved release. She thought back to their encounter at the waterfall, the pressure of his muscular body against her, the soft caress of his breath on her neck, the way he took command. How when they sparred he could lift her so easily with one arm, and not even look like it was a struggle. Then their evening, the one they hadn't since spoken about, lingered there between them, an unspoken change in the air. And in her.

* * *

 ***warning for smut ahead***

* * *

"Shadow," she called quietly in to the darkness. She knew his pattern by now. He would disappear not long after sundown but he never left for the entire night. By the early hours, if she got up for whatever reason, she would find him asleep on the sofa.

"Shadow," she called a little louder, "I need...I..." she couldn't finish her sentence, but all the same he appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. Her mouth hung open but words failed her in his presence. The weak light of the night sky nearly completely hid him, but his eyes glowed and burned in to hers. She couldn't read him even after all they had been through, and all at once she became unsure of what it was he might want. Just because he had touched her so intimately it didn't mean that wasn't a one time event brought upon by her demanding his attention.

Not knowing what to say she turned back to look out on their lonely surroundings, only to find herself pulled strongly from the window and thrown down on to the bed. In an instant he was above her on all fours, the only part of him touching her was one hand pulling softly on her quills.

"This?" was all he asked.

"This," she whispered back, any further discussion put to a halt as he took her lips with his.

He kissed her hard and deep, but he was also taking his time. When Sonic had kissed her it had been as she should have expected, too rushed, too careless. To her it seemed as if Shadow was truly trying to taste her, to capture the breath from her so she became dizzy. When he did let her gasp a breath it was to lick her bottom lip before taking her mouth completely again. His fingers interlaced with her quills, a ticklish sensation that could only be perfected by her own kind. She felt in charge of their kiss the other night, but this time he was in control.

She needed to touch him, but not knowing where to start she simply ran her fingers through his beautiful snowy chest fur and finally hooking up under his arms. With an urgency to feel more contact she pulled him down until his full weight was on top of her.

He pulled away from their kiss and looked down upon her. Her peach muzzle was flushed red and she was panting to get her breath back. This image was etched in to his mind from the other night and he was more than happy to see it again. He was not suffering from their passionate embrace, and moved his kisses down her lithe form while she recovered. In their training he had seen every muscle in her body twist and strain, but in this scenario her strength once again melted away and she was putty. This was precisely what he had taught her to fight against, but she had chosen to give in to him with her head, not her hormones. The evening she had come to him she was not herself, yet all the same he had done what he could to block out the horrors she had seen. This time he was going to get his satisfaction and she was entirely his.

He traced his finger down between her breasts and circled one to gently cup it. His thumb gently rubbed at her fur until he revealed the delicate flesh. Her chest rose quickly as she took in a short gasp, and with no hesitation he replaced a thumb with his tongue while his hand travelled further south.

There was no time for Amy to get her breath back, but she was starting to enjoy how dizzy it made her. When Sonic had grabbed at her during their ill fated attempts at "taking it further" she had felt uncomfortable and shocked, immediately recoiling from his embrace. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted more but she couldn't adjust herself to her hero being so greedy.

This experience was so different. She didn't have block out visions of her childhood as she had with the blue blur. At that moment Shadow melted in to the backdrop of her senses and all she concentrated on was the wet tongue circling her nipple and the finger working it's way to her...

"Oh shi...," she squeaked as he flicked the most delicate part of her entire body. Just as it had been before, one tiny amount of pressure on this one tiny spot and she was rendered useless. She had explored her body on her own of course but was not like the contact given by another being. As he rubbed and circled that one point she twitched and whimpered, bucking her hips and subconsciously parting her thighs to allow him further access. She felt more involved this time than she had before, perhaps it was because she was more ready to give herself completely.

He had ceased his licks on her torso and was watching her face contort as his fingers chanced the deeper exploration he hadn't before. He had been with females in the past, he was pretty sure he knew what made them tick, but he had never wanted to know they were happy quite so badly. It wasn't love, it was more a respect for the bond of trust they had built up in the weeks they had spent training. She could now fight off the wild cravings her heat had caused, and he could sense in her pheromones that she was back to neutral, which meant this happening now was her choice. That he was her choice; the one she trusted with her body. He knew that even in that moment the blue moron was still in the recesses of her thoughts, but this was about he and Bud physically needing each other. Sonic wasn't a part of that.

She opened her eyes to find him gazing down at her. Those scarlet orbs still gave nothing away, and though they were cold they were not cruel. She was at his mercy and she loved it. She had dreamed about her first time in her head a million nights over and they had always been with Sonic and they had always been full of tender words and gentle caresses. She was beyond those romantic notions now, partly because she knew of Sonics indiscretions, but mostly because she wanted the moment to remain her own secret. Here, so far from home, from her life, from her reality, she could create a secret and bury it all in one go.

Confidence growing she slid her hand across his hip and to the part of him she wanted to expose most. The Mobians could walk around unclothed if they so wished, so though she had seen plenty naked males she hadn't yet seen all of them. Trying to hide her embarrassment she lifted her face to be kissed so he couldn't see her blush spread across her muzzle. Her hand finally grasped what she sought, now completely clear of its hiding space. It felt hard and hot in her hand. She dared to give it a gently stroke, finding this action finally made Shadow emit a sound. She REALLY liked that, and encouraged by his grunts of satisfaction she continued to pump his impressive member.

In a swift movement he had grabbed both her wrists and pinned them above her head with one hand. She was worried she had done something wrong, until she positioned himself carefully at her entrance. He didn't seek any further permission, but he slid inside her slowly, only probing deeper when he felt her body relaxing. Her pretty face was frowning, as if she were deep in thought, and though he was within her physically he wondered if she still remained at arms reach emotionally. Who was he to talk?

For Amy's part, she hurt, but it was the right kind of hurting. There was an initial biting sting that didn't fully subside, but the tight invasive sensation eased away as she concentrated herself on relaxing. It was as if all their combat training had actually been for this moment, and though she wanted to giggle and could only manage a small mew. She pulled against his grip and he finally relented, and unsure what to do with her hands she buried them in his quills. He pressed his face in to her neck as he slowly eased himself in to a careful pace. As their hips clashed she would let out a small cry, the volume increasing with each thrust. For the most part he remained silent, but she could still pick up the quickness in his breath as he began to move quicker.

There were sensations she had never known before coursing through her veins. It was like being in pain, but not being in pain at all. She moaned and gasped involuntarily as her mind did it's best to leave her completely. His hot breath on her neck was almost the most intimate part of their actions, from the shoulders down she was no longer herself but his breathing was so real to her. One of his arms hooked under her knee and brought her leg up higher. She was glad of her gymnastic skills then. Even right up to the climax however, Amy didn't feel the pleasure she assumed she would. It was inexplicably good yes, but she supposed her body was still protesting at being over taken by the male hedgehog. There was no seeing stars or screams of pleasure, but all the same she felt a physical and emotional disconnection when he pulled out of her, releasing himself on her stomach. She might have been squeamish about the action, but she was too distracted by what he did to himself. His elbow was under her head, his face still buried in her neck, but as he came he let out a growl and bit down on his own arm.

They lay like that for a while, the only sounds were Amy trying to regulate her breath and Shadows grunts as his teeth remained in his forearm. She felt confused but not scared. Not knowing what to do she employed the one tactic guaranteed to sooth any hedgehog, she rubbed his ear.

That seemed to do the trick and he released his arm and subsequently his grip on her. She locked eyes with him and for the briefest moment she thought she saw the beginnings of a smile. But in a blink he was gone, and she lay there on the bed in her sweaty, sticky state for a few minutes, before carrying her weary body to the shower to wash away their sins.


	11. Fear Lies Within

_We're heading in to the woods. Time for Amy to face her demons._

 _Language and suggestive themes. Some gore._

 _Also, I was left a nice review explaining Amy/Shadow strength stats. It was interesting, and though it's not going to be brought up in this chapter I **will** refer to it in future chapters._

 _Sonic the Hedgehog et al belong to Sega._

* * *

She was uncomfortable the following morning. Physically and emotionally she just couldn't place herself. There was no sign of Shadow, that was no surprise, but the house felt much emptier than it had before. Her communicator was sat on the table like a martyr of technology, the only connection to her old life and the destroyer of it. Her books didn't look too appealing and there was no actual appetite to be spoken of either.

She walked outside, through the peaceful garden, until the whispering woods became audible. She waited with baited breath for them to read her, to feast on the new nightmares building and rising in her mind.

"Aaaaaaamy," the whisper finally came, "oh Amy, what did you do?"

"I know what I did. You can't hurt me with it. Do you understand that?"

"Do you?"

She turned back, safe in the knowledge that they would try to haunt her with this. She could be more prepared if she knew what they would throw at her. The subject was only half the battle, if what she witnessed in Shadows nightmares was anything to go by. The image she...no,her ghostly doppelgänger...appeared in was deeper than him losing his family. She recalled he had said he didn't know if he could reproduce, so the family he might lose might never be to begin with. At least he been careful the night before, just in case, but she was sure she could only conceive when in heat anyway.

Apart from the woods, she had grown accustomed to her surroundings. It was small, and her love of cooking took a back step in such a small kitchen, but it was homely. She missed the sounds of the ocean she had grown up with it was true, but here there was birdsong and the gentle rustle of the wind through the trees.

"You forget them so easily," the woods moaned.

She shivered and stormed back in to the house to try and face her books.

* * *

That night, they both caved again, and the following evenings after that too. As the nights came creeping in her window she craved his warm touch more and more. The discomfort of being penetrated faded, and even though she knew he was trying she never achieved that true satisfaction. He would climax of course, and every time he did, no matter what position they were in, he bit down on his arm until he drew blood. It seemed so personal an act she didn't want to ask him why he did it. Each time though she would gently rub his ear until they fell flat against his head, and once at peace he would swiftly exit. She would shower and snuggle in to bed happily, waking to either find him gone or sat quietly drinking his coffee and browsing her history books.

Then one evening, things changed. While she slept he crawled back in to bed with her, curling up against her, breathing in the soft smell of her delicately cleaned fur. She wasn't aware he was there until she woke the next morning to find a familiar black hand resting carefully on her hip. She smiled and hummed a good morning, and he buried his face in between her shoulder blades.

"Bud, it's time," he sighed deeply.

She buried her face further in to the pillow, "I know."

"I'm not demanding you go but..."

"I should hope not."

He let out a long breath that tickled her fur, but she was less shocked than she expected when he spoke again.

"I heard the message on your communicator."

"Well since you've said you sometimes spy on the village at night, I would guess it didn't surprise you," she replied with a harshness in her tone she didn't intend.

"It's true, I already knew. I wasn't going to tell you, it didn't seem right. If you were angry with him there was every chance you would..."

"Sleep with you to get back at him?"

He didn't reply, so she rolled over, pushing him on to his back and straddling him. Who would have thought that at any point he would show such vulnerability. She had wondered it herself on more than one occasion. Was she sleeping with him just to spite Sonic? No, she had wanted to be with Shadow before that, Sonics message was that final push.

"Shadow the Hedgehog, I did not do this to get back at Sonic. He doesn't know this even happened, he doesn't have to. This belongs to me, to us."

He tenderly stroked her cheek, "We can't stay like this."

"No, I'm getting cramp in my thigh."

He laughed. It caught her so completely off guard she burst in to laughter to, and rolling over they both lay on the bed like that until the giggles subsided.

"I need to face Sonic. I need to go home, back to reality. I'm not who I was, I am a better version of her. All because you kidnapped me."

He snorted happily, "I seem to recall asking several times if you wanted to go back."

"Oh sure, after Stockholm Syndrome had set in."

"That what you call your sexual appetite?"

She punched his arm, "Like you aren't going to miss me."

He considered what to say before replying.

"I am going to bury myself back in to my work. I feel more...normal for the time I have spent here. With you. Just promise me you'll not doubt yourself Bud."

"I can't, not if I'm going to get through that forest."

"You don't have to, I can just..."

"I need to," she interrupted, "or all this will have been for nothing."

There was another long pause before he very quietly replied, "It made me happy."

Amy didn't know what to say any more, so she shifted herself further down the bed and let her mouth do a different form of talking. Sonic was right, it did put a smile on Shadow's face.

* * *

Putting on her old red dress, her long socks and binding her waist with sports tape, Amy was ready to face the world she had left behind. Shadow had promised she would emerge from the forest right where he had taken her from those weeks ago. With all she knew about him now, it didn't sound far fetched, and she stomped head-on towards the tree line. She didn't look back, though she felt his eyes on her. There was a pang of desire to stay and preserve what they had forever, but it passed as the voices of the forest called her.

Driving headlong in to the darkness, it wasn't long before the first ghosts formed themselves before her eyes. A lilac hedgehog took shape, arms folded and looking directly at her. It was her Mother.

"You left me Rosie. You left me here all alone. If you hadn't been such a difficult birth I could have had more children, children who wouldn't leave me."

Amy stared hard at the apparition, and despite the painful memory that was presented to her, she did not cry. She had already come to terms with her Mother's parting words years ago and she knew what to say.

"Maybe if you opened up a little bit, Mother, you could finally bond with my Father."

The ghost recoiled, "You will never find a good man with that attitude."

"You did, and he's still with you, remember the girl you once were, you miserable bitch."

The ghost evaporated. The demons of the forest hadn't read her very well if they thought she was still troubled by her Mummy issues. Amy had seen and spoken to her Mother since she departed her family home, and they had a delicate relationship but a relationship all the same.

She walked for a while alone and in silence. Shadow's nightmares had come thick and fast, but what plagued him were a lot darker than anything she had hidden. They were struggling and she knew it.

Finally the wisp blew in to view again and formed itself in to Tails and Sticks. They were dead, bloodied, broken and twisted in to garish angles. She stopped still to suppress the bile that built up in her throat, but she did not look away. They were the youngest of her friends, perhaps physically the weakest but that didn't mean they weren't still strong. For a time nothing moved, when all of a sudden Knuckles fell in to the scene too. He was trying to hold back the blood pouring from his neck, but she watched the life slowly slip away from him.

"We fight every day," she called out in to the void, "who wouldn't worry about losing their friends, this is nothing special."

"She led me to you," came a well known, husky voice. Shadow, the not-Shadow, walked towards her but he was talking to the space over her shoulder. As she looked towards the spot Shadow was talking to, she saw Sonic form from the mist. He was wounded badly, and she swallowed hard. She couldn't give in so soon so she locked her eyes back on the not-Shadow instead.

"Amy wouldn't do that," ghost Sonic gasped, "she's our friend."

"She was. She betrayed you, and once I am through with you," the ghost whipped around to look at her, "I will finish her off too."

Trying to block out the garbled sound of the ghost Sonic behind her, she squared up to the not-Shadow, "It's fine, Shadow can finish me off, but he has to use his tongue."

The not-Shadow pulled a face and Amy burst out laughing. As it faded she was sure she caught a glimpse of it's real face, but it was hard to tell with her eyes scrunched up as they were. Shadow was not going to kill them, and if this demon represented what little doubt she had, Shadow had trained her how to fight against him. Perhaps the cryptic creatures had not looked in to her head very deeply, for Amy knew that Sonic could run out of reach if he ever truly feared for his life.

Sonic was in her next vision too, but here was the one image she expected to be presented with. Limbs tangled, fur ruffled, clothing strewn, but no mistaking it was Sonic and Staci. The mauve bandicoot was screaming in pleasure as ghost Sonic pounded in to her roughly. Unlike her previous demon which had been almost unbelievable, this one came with a heavy dose of reality. In a moment of weakness Amy looked away and just as Shadow had warned it would, this fed the monsters.

Sensing her struggle she felt them close in closer around her. The voices of the ghost Sonic and Staci grew louder and crueller until they seemed to fill the whole forest. She covered her ears and closed her eyes but the claustrophobic cold grew worse and she felt her mind slip in to doubt. Her own voice whispered in her ear.

"He never wanted you. You are just a stupid little girl. Look at them, don't they fit so perfectly together?"

She chanced opening her eyes. Her stomach twisted again with an insane jealousy but she would not give them the satisfaction of upsetting her. The not Staci and Sonic, though very much buried in each other, showed no real connection in their eyes.

"No!" the real Amy cried, "they will never love each other!"

"Oh no?" the ghost Staci called to her. She was still underneath the ghost Sonic but her eyes were locked on Amy's, "and I suppose he loves you?"

She needed something to throw. Snatching her red band from her quills she aimed it straight at the apparitions, "Yes," she snarled, "more than he ever will you."

Her band hit a tree and broke. The image was gone in an instant, for Amy knew what she had told them was no bluff. Even if not in love with her, she knew Sonic loved her more than he could ever confess to. Staci was a roadblock, but Amy's spirit was a tanker.

Picking up her broken headband she called again in to the darkness, "So what will it be next? Visions of me crying in school? Perhaps an evil clown could chase me? How about that time I nearly threw up on Shadow's shoes, that was pretty horrific."

There was nothing but darkness. She knew they hadn't given up, Shadow had said she would be home when they did. Perhaps they were regrouping. She strolled forward, which was easier said than done in the dark. Her communicator was fading quickly but it still provided a weak enough glow to pierce the encompassing black.

Time passed, she called out again.

"If you can't come up with anything you may as well just send me home. Much as I love walking around this dying forest I think you should admit defeat here."

Again there was nothing, just a deafening silence. It felt like she had been forgotten left in the bottom of the toy box to gather dust. She walked at quicker pace in the hopes of stirring up something, anything. She was no longer sure of direction, or the pace of time, and she began to panic.

It was then she heard a light giggle. Not a pleasant giggle, but the croaked, harsh sound of the monsters. They had fooled her; the darkness WAS what they were presenting as fear. She stopped still to calm her heartbeat, and instead of walking any further she sat next to a tree and allowed herself to relax. It seemed to work, but the sound they chose to wake her with was more haunting than anything she had yet encountered.

It was a babies cry. She tried to tell herself it wasn't real, but natural instinct won out and she began to hunt for the child. Twitching her ears this way and that she tried to focus in on it's location. As the sound grew louder she could see the wisp up ahead, a small bundle in the fallen leaves. She locked her hands behind her back to avoid the temptation to pick it up, but when she finally spied the child her resistance broke.

It was the baby from before, the little magenta girl with the red streak through the centre of her quills. She laughed as Amy picked her up, and for one blissful moment Amy's heart swelled with love. But Amy had broken the most important rule Shadow had told her to follow; don't touch anything. In front of her eyes the baby melted in to a squirming mass of tentacles and they wrapped themselves around Amy's head. They could physically do her no harm, but as they shrouded her mind with dark thoughts she screamed in horror and she tried to run. Blinded by shadows and fear she stumbled and crashed in to branches but she didn't notice once. When she tripped down a small ravine she rolled a few times and finally stopped moving.

* * *

It was darker then, darker than it had been in all her time there. The cold penetrated her right to the bone and the only sound was that of her fears spilling out of her. The temperature and the terror hit every nerve and her whole body trembled, disturbing the dry foliage below her quivering form. How had she gone from such confidence to this?

Through the sound of her own heavy sobs she heard Shadow's voice call to her.

"C'mon now Bud, you can't think much of me if you think my children will be octopuses."

She took a gulp of air between her shaking sobs and looked around desperately, "Sha...dow. Where...wh...are you?"

"Close enough. I haven't been far from the start, but I didn't think you would want to cheat. What would you call her?"

Amy sat up and wiped away a tear, "Call her?"

"The baby."

The very reason she was in this mess; the beautiful little hoglet turned nightmare vision. Amy pictured instead the scene from Shadows vision, the happy family unit and the miniature version of them she had cradled. She hadn't had to name a baby before, she wasn't even that good at naming pets. In this case however, there was only one name that came to mind.

"Maria."

He was only a voice in the air, or maybe even only her imagination, but she could picture him smiling.

"Perfect. But here's the thing Bud...I don't remember her namesake having tentacles, do you?"

Amy laughed, "No I'm pretty sure she didn't. She didn't have fur though so better be wary all the same."

She got up. The weight from around her head had lifted and she could see clearly again. The warmth spread back through her body like a wave and all signs of weakness dissipated in her laughter.

"One more Bud. You can do it."

She blew a kiss in to the air and hauled herself out of the ditch. Pulling herself over the lip she could see Sonic stood staring at her. This time, the ghost Sonic was alone and focussed on her.

"Do your worst," she spat at it.

"Like you did?"

"Oooh very quick. I could do much worse than Shadow, you can't guilt me."

"No, he is the worst, I can barely stand to look at you. After everything he's done to us, you go for the one I hate the most"

She rolled her eyes, "It's not different to you banging Staci Bandicioot."

"Yes it is. You're just jealous because she is so beautiful and you are so plain. She never attacked us, or tried to destroy the universe. Besides," the spirit replied, walking towards her, "I'm a guy and I can do what I want without consequence. You on the other hand? You'll be called a whore."

She folded her arms defensively as the being stopped just out of arms reach, "How very old fashioned of you to think so."

It twisted it's head and smirked. It enraged her so that these creatures would make such an uncanny image of her Sonic and...

Her Sonic. Hers. That sounded good to her.

"I've learned a thing or two spook," she proclaimed, "and Amy Rose is no longer a wallflower. I am going to take what I want, who I want, when I want."

The ghost flickered slightly, "You think having sex with the first guy that showed interest is how a strong woman lives?"

"No," she yelled, "this is."

It was a pointless act, but she aimed a punch at the ghost. Her fist passed right through it, but all the same it flinched and backed away. She didn't fear making contact with them and they knew it. With Sonics speed he ran some distance from her and stopped again.

"Want to try that again? You will never catch me, Wallflower."

She charged at full throttle and swiped at it's face again. It dodged, and once again ran out of reach, making her chase it again. She couldn't tell if she was angry or happy at that point, but she knew she was fighting her corner in all ways she could.

"You might be faster than me," she yelled at it, "but I am ten times more determined."

Over and over again she ran after the ghost Sonic, aiming a blow at his stupid head but falling short each time. She took the broken piece of her headband and threw them, and even took her communicator off her wrist and aimed that at his head. Nothing made contact, and she was growing tired and uncoordinated. Grabbing her strewn items she slowed to a march as he ran out of sight. She would not stop, not yet, and as she passed through a tangle of hedges she could see him up ahead with his back to her.

Got him, she thought, and strolled towards her taunter. She was within arms reach when it turned round and looked at her with surprise.

"Ames, you're..."

She punched, but this time she connected. She didn't just connect, she hurt her hand with the impact of it. As Sonic crumpled in to a heap her peripheral vision kicked in and she realised she was in the middle of Hedgehog village. She was home at last. She hadn't decided if she was going to kill or kiss him when she first saw him, and in the end she'd knocked him out cold.

She looked back to where she had come from but all she could see was the regular forest that surrounded the village. There was no going back, no hiding from adulthood, from her actions and her indiscretions. As the villagers began to appear and walk towards her she became all too aware of reality, and unable to face anyone yet she bolted from the scene and towards her beautiful hut. She shouldn't have left Sonic like that, but her adrenalin was still pumping from the woods and she wanted to hide.

* * *

Her newly trained ear picked up a sound in the bushes not far from the sanctuary of her home. It had been a long time, but she could feel the presence of her hammer again, and she called it to hand. She was clear of the wood but how did she know for sure the demons hadn't followed her?

It was far worse than a demon, it was Sticks, and she was not happy.

"Pod person! POD PERSON!" she screeched as she charged at Amy, teeth and claws bared.

"No Sticks, It's really me!"

"Lies! You smell strange, you aren't my friend!"

"You have a jar of your hairballs in a drawer because you're scared the Government wants your DNA!" Amy yelled, as she held her hammer above her head for protection. The blow never came. When she dared to open her eyes again Sticks was stood in front of her a with a sceptical hand on her hip.

"You still smell too strange," she said between nose twitches, "I can detect hints of Amy, mixed with a pinch of Shadow, layered heavily with something I can't place."

Amy released her hammer and fell to her knees. She was overwhelmed with exhaustion and the pain from all the damage she had done herself. She needed to feel back in the real world but so far she was an alien in her own home.

"Oh Sticks...please...I need you to trust me. I'm Amy! Your best friend."

As she watched the pink hedgehog begin to cry, the strange aura she was giving off lifted and left behind the friend she thought she had lost. She fell to her knees as well and wrapped her arms around Amy, finally smelling the sweet scent of the girl who had stood by her through thick and thin for so many years.

"Let's get you in to a nice warm bath and clean you up. What...what have you done to yourself?"


	12. Rough Reunion

_Much love to those who read, review and come back._

 _So Amy is back home, but she isn't out of the woods quite yet (geddit?). Again I try to keep this lot somewhat in character, while acknowledging they are years older than their canon counterparts._

 _I meant to mention before, but a song that really got me pumped up to write this Sonamy fic is "Dear Boy" by Avicii (full version is 7 minutes but there are radio edits, or look up the lyrics). The lyrics to me seem Amy's P.O.V and even the music seems game like. Anyway, credit where credit is due._

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega._

* * *

"...and I thought the Black Badger was a scary thing to see in the woods. But you stood up to them, you got through, that's a good thing aint it?"

Amy sighed and slipped deeper in to the bubbles, "Yes, I think so. They get teenage girls to look after those dolls that scream realistically to put them off having babies too early...what they really need is a tentacle monster. I don't think I can go near a baby again for a good long while"

"I thought I saw some crazy things. There's a robot version of me living in the sky. But babies that turn in to aliens? You're nuts."

"I'm sure you could be calling me worse things. I'm sure the villagers will be."

Sticks, who was at leaning against the tub, turned to look Amy in the eye, "I don't know. I think there are a lot of secrets out there. I hear Lady Walrus has a tattoo of her husband across her back."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"In the image he's whipping her with a liquorice stick."

"...how do you..."

Stick smiled. "I've seen it. If she wants to keep it quiet, she won't be calling you anything."

Amy laughed, "Do you have dirt on everyone?"

"Oh you bet, you don't get to be me by not spying on all your neighbours. Even Sonic has been...oh er...I..."

Amy's face dropped again, "It's okay Sticks, I know. He left me a message on my communicator before I came back. Still can't handle his alcohol"

Sticks felt awful to feel so relieved. She had debated telling Amy what she knew, but it was not a secret that could be swept under the rug. Sonic had been so reckless without Amy to keep an eye on him and he had got drunk on more than one occasion. If he knew he had called Amy and told her what he had...was...doing...he would have skipped town.

"I don't think he knows you know. Nobody knew about the city girls as he was keeping that away from home, but Staci lives in the village and she hasn't shut up about..."

"City girls?!"

Sticks froze, "What? City...what words are you making up...I don't...forest demons talking to you."

Amy screamed in frustration, "I should have known! Here I am trying to fight back the guilt of sleeping with Shadow while Sonic has been out chasing tail left right and centre! How long has this been going on? Years? Kept me hanging on...and he's...buried in...the nearest..."

"Never another hedgehog though," Sticks offered.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Amy grumbled as she stepped out of the bath, not caring that she was soaking the floor as she walked passed Sticks. When she finally grabbed a towel she realised Sticks was scrutinizing her back.

"What are you doing?"

"You er...did say you slept with Shadow?"

"Yes, I'm not going in to details if that's what you're expecting."

Sticks chewed on her lip, "No I wasn't expecting that."

Amy started squeezing the water out of her quills. Taking deep breaths to stop herself from losing her temper and unfairly taking it out on her friend, she asked again, "What is the significance of him not...being with another hedgehog?"

Sticks was still chewing on her lip, harder this time, "I don't know, guess he knew he couldn't ever replace you."

"Ha, replace me? He never had me! Good thing too, apparently I'd have been sharing him. Stupid blue fuc..."

"Don't give me that. If you didn't love him you wouldn't be this upset," Sticks declared, pointing her finger at her rosy comrade.

Amy glared at the pointed digit, but rather than scream any more she let out a whoosh of breath.

"You know Sticks, I'm starting to wonder if you weren't once one of those forest ghosts. I do love him, and yes that may have been part of the reason I came back. I'm not happy to hear of other girls, but it's still Staci that hurts the most. Strangers are just physical, she is more personal. So there's competition. I'm not resting on my laurels now I know the truth. Just before I murder him, I'm going to make him mine"

"But as you said, he's with Staci now," Sticks pointed out in a lower voice.

Amy looked over her shoulder at the younger badger and smiled devilishly.

"You think that's going to stop me?"

* * *

Sometimes he was an idiot, and often he frustrated her, but Knuckles was also by far the least judgmental creature she knew and when he bundled her up in a hug she gladly took it.

"I am so glad you're back! I was worried you would never be back from your Aunt's," he cried, finally putting her down.

"My...my Aunts?"

"The family you were visiting," Tails interrupted, giving her a toothy smile and nodding with encouragement.

"Oh," she replied, "Yes my Auntie...Flo...Tation."

"Auntie Flo Tation?"

"Twice removed on my cousins side."

"...she sounds nice."

Amy grinned and look questioningly at Tails. He sidled up to her and whispered in her ear.

"We told the villagers you were visiting family. He did know where you were, but when he started to believe the lie instead, we decided not to correct him."

"What was wrong with the truth?" she asked defensively.

"We just didn't want to confuse him."

She released her frown and looked a little sheepish, "Yes, of course."

They were in Tails workshop. It was the day after Amy's return and she was beginning to find her feet again. Tails had called by but Sticks had sent him away with the promise that Amy would be able to see them once she was herself. Really they were delaying the inevitable meeting with Sonic, but Tails reassured them he would not be there.

"Where were you? I should have been able to track you once you picked up your communicator, but the signal jumped all over the place."

"To be honest Tails, I don't think I know myself. Shadow can move through time and space in a different way to the rest of us. I was right here, but not here at all."

He scratched his chin, "So an alternate dimension? He always did seem to appear and vanish at a moments notice. Maybe on the same time wave as us, which is why we could call you. Do you think it was the same place where the other Knuckles came from? The other Eggman? Did you experience any anomalies, like we did with him? No that can't be, it only took a few hours for issues to present themselves then. If you never saw anyone but him maybe it wasn't even this planet! What if..."

"I'm sorry I didn't come home," she sighed suddenly, "I did like hearing from you, the little messages about your work. I missed you, I shouldn't have just ditched you like that, with no real answers"

He smiled at her, "It's your life Amy, once we knew you were safe, we were happy."

She smiled weakly in return, "I wouldn't say happy. Sticks flipped again earlier and she's banned me from visiting her."

Knuckles walked back over to them, "Yea she's nuts, but she doesn't want to kill Sonic any more so I'm sure she will forgive you for running away with the creepy hedgehog who sometimes attacks us."

Amy and Tails just stared at him.

"What? Hey if Sonic is going to play the field why shouldn't you? You must have arrived at your Aunts late in the evening thought amirite? Hope she didn't keep asking you awkward questions."

"Knuckles, you are an enigma," Amy gasped in surprise.

"It's pronounce Ek Id Nah."

She sighed, "Shadow knows how to fight well, obviously. He was able to pick up on my flaws, which is mostly my reaction speed. I can hit, I can hit hard, but when he caught me off guard I couldn't react quick enough. I was learning to be more prepared in battle, because you never know if Metal Sonic could return. That's what I was learning while I was there. Why do you think I was...er...playing the field?"

"Why else would you stay? I mean, if you're sorry you didn't come back, that means you could have right? Something must have been keeping you there voluntarily. You're a tough fighter Amy, Shadow couldn't have shown you that much" Tails chimed in.

"Yea, it's like those Jimmy Pond films I like to watch. No matter how he treats them, if he spends more than a few hours with a woman, they give in to his good looks and cold, distant stare" Knuckled beamed.

Amy snorted, "Shadow showed me a lot. It wasn't just physical...I mean fighting physically. He taught me not to doubt what I can do. He has respect for my intelligence, and knows it too can be a weapon."

Knuckles smiled harder, "You had sex with him too right?"

"YES I DID HAVE SEX WITH HIM! CAN WE CONCENTRATE ON ALL THE OTHER THINGS I DID?"

Both guys were cowering in the corner, but she was too mad to feel bad about screeching from the rooftop. She should have known they would concentrate on that of all things. Even Sticks had asked about the fighting skills she had learned before she asked about anything else.

"We're sorry Amy, that was very rude of him," Tails whimpered, "Can I ask you more about the world you were in?"

Amy pouted, but nodded. While Knuckles remained hidden across the other side of the room she explain to Tails about the forest and the creatures that dwell within. Recounting her adventures through the monsters home was rewarding and difficult. She didn't go in to any great details about her visions, as though they were her nightmares, they would still be disturbing to her friends. He seemed fascinated with the prospect of other worlds running parallel to their own and he vowed to find a way through to them. If Eggman could do it then so could he.

"I mean, Shadow can do it just by thinking about it, it shouldn't be too difficult to create a portal again. It's more making sure that portal leads to the right place. And that it's stable this time"

Amy watched and listened as Tails wandered around his workshop muttering to himself. He seemed genuinely excited. She knew deserting them for her own gain had been selfish, but at least she was able to give something back. She looked over at Knuckles who was still sat stock still in the corner.

"Hey Ek Id Nah, I never quite mastered breaking rocks with my fists, think you can show me how?"

He beamed, "Oh boy, would I? No hammers though, right?"

* * *

The day had been long, but at least it now felt like she had never been away. It had been the most brutal method, but Knuckles badgering had at least cleared the air. Though it had sounded like him being nosey, she was sure buried under his curiosity had been a sense of protectiveness. They had spent years together and fighting alongside each other, so it was only natural for them to feel disconnected and concerned when she had grown up without them. She signed with contentment as she pushed her door open, safe in the knowledge they loved her still.

The blue of his fur was a stark contrast to the lilac of her couch. He was slouched, with his feet on the table, flicking through the channels on her T.V. As she shut the door behind her, he flicked off the box and slowly lowered his feet to the floor, but he did not turn to her.

"Not sure I deserved that," he said in a low voice while pointing to his cheek. She could see the swelling under his eye.

"That was an accident," she replied, feeling the chill emanating from him, like opening a freezer on a summer day.

"You accidentally punch people often? Or is this something Shadow has taught you?"

"I didn't realise...you weren't meant to...look I'm not explaining right now."

"Why do I get the feeling there's a lot you won't be explaining."

Amy puffed up her chest. She should have been more prepared for his reaction after her time in the woods, but the demons only read her fears...they didn't know how the real Sonic would react. Neither did she, and it had not started well.

"What do you mean by that?"

He stood up and turned completely away from her, "I strolled by the workshop earlier. You aren't very good at controlling your volume when you're angry. Pretty much the whole village heard you."

She sucked in a deep breath, and let it out of her lungs slowly, "According to Sticks you had already told them I had 'shacked up' with Shadow."

"I wasn't lying though was I?"

He remained a short distance away but he finally turned to look at her. His eyes were just as cold as his words and for a second she stumbled. She could see the anger and the hurt buried in those emerald gems and guilt spread through her. He had never looked upon her with such eyes.

"Sonic, it wasn't like that, he..."

"Not like that? So when you bellowed earlier you did have sex with him, you didn't mean it?"

Her temper finally began to kick back in, "Fine, it wasn't like that to begin with. I knew I was weak, emotionally and physically, and so did he. He respected the boundaries I fought to keep up. It was a battle I was losing around yo..."

He laughed, halting her words, "You caved in eventually though didn't you? A few weeks with him and you let him have his way. What did change your mind then, Miss Weakling?"

She sniffed haughtily. She unhooked her communicator from her wrist, and setting up the answer machine message, she threw it at his feet. As his drunken voice played it's relationship destroying message she watched his face flicker from fear, to guilt, to anger, to finally rest on a placid, blank slate as it all went quiet again.

"Revenge sex. Most people aren't virgins when they have it," he sneered.

She coughed out an angry laugh, "You would know. That's why you went back to her isn't it? To get back at me for ditching you?"

"You ditched us all. Like an idiot I was worried about you when all along you were getting your rocks off," he growled at her.

"I told you it wasn't like that. Right up until the point I heard that message I was staying faithful to you, even though I had no reason to. You can't act like I cheated on you when you never wanted me."

There was a blue blur and a slam, and he was miles away by the time she finally let out a scream of hurt and confusion.

* * *

That night she went through just about every emotion she had ever felt. In the early hours of the morning she found herself slowly walking towards the woods. She needed to be held, she needed to melt back into the shadows. She couldn't think why she ever left in the first place.

In the darkness of the night something scuttled by and she leapt out of her skin. It was just a bug, but the visions of lying in the empty bed while the woods whispered to her came flooding back. She had battled them and won, but she did not want to do it again. Going back to Shadow would be the cowards way out, and he wouldn't allow it even if she tried. The rose tinted glasses were too easy to put on.

Staci was not going to win, she had decided that. But Sonic had cut her deeply and a scar was forming on her heart. He was hurt, and though they had fallen out before this was on a whole new level. Whatever happened, they made up; they never hated each other for long. If she left now, she would break their fragile bond completely.

She wouldn't go running to him. She wouldn't hide from him. But she had to get his attention and if one thing was sure to work, it was to make herself more alluring. She would have to stomp down her pride if she was going to catch his eye. Catch it, and keep it.


	13. Battles Lost and Won

_Had a couple very nice reviews lately, and as such I've been re-writing work, because I really want to do this fic justice. The next couple of chapters are written, but I'm stuck on how to end this OR whether to include an epilogue. This is the first chapter that got a rewrite, but I am not very confident writing battles so it's still a little weak to start with. Sorry._

 _Also part of this chapter is written from Sonics POV, because I think I've made him seem a bad guy recently. I want to explore his thought processes a bit._

 _Tried to keep Eggman's Boom humour here. He really is far less threatening in this series._

 _Sonic, Amy at al belong to Sega_

* * *

She was out of breath but her senses were alert. Eggman had tried a sneak attack on the village square but he had not reckoned on Amy's new ability to sense danger approaching. Without the need to call her team she had tackled the bots on the ground with nothing but her fists and her feet. She was connected to her hammer but there was a new desire in her to be more tactile in battle. Lassoing one of the B-Bots with her energy beam she swung it in to the Eggmobile. Then another and then another. The commotion had been loud enough to attract the attention of Knuckles, Tails and Sticks and she heard them calling to her.

"Stay back! This is my fight!"

"Amy we're all here, you don't have to carry on alone."

"I said, stay back Tails. I started this, I can end this."

"You don't have your hammer."

"I'm aware of that Sticks."

"Upper cut, UPPER CUT."

"Thanks Knuckles."

She wasn't going to punch the Eggmobile. She grabbed the end of the broken rope that was swinging from the flag pole and ran around it in a circle to build momentum. She couldn't perform this trick as effectively as Sonic, but she had already caused extensive damage to Eggman. She ran as fast as her legs could go and with one hard spring she flew in to the air and smashed both feet in to the weak, exposed Eggmobile exhaust. It crashed to the ground, and the Doc and his two minions, Orbot and Cubot, were sent rolling.

"I must say, Miss Rose has certainly grown more resilient," the red robot observed.

"Yea, and she can take a punch," his metallic comrade added.

"Her speed has increased by approximately thirty percent. The acceleration behind her blows accounts for her ability to strike us so harshly without her hammer," Orbot carried on.

"Wow, she can react almost as quickly as Shadow. I wonder how she picked that up?" Cubot mused.

"Are you done with the boring chit chat?" Amy screeched at them.

Doctor Eggman brushed the dust of his legs and grumbled, "Woke up on the wrong side of someone else's bed I see."

This time she did call her hammer to hand. With a snap of her fingers her Piko hammer felt nice and heavy in her hand. She still felt it made her reactions sluggish at times, but it was too much a part of her to give up completely.

"What was that Egghead? Didn't quite catch that last part!"

Everyone took a step back, everyone except Eggman.

He folded his arms and gave her a scowl.

"I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you! I sent my Spybots out looking for you because I actually began to wonder if you were safe. Sure Shadow is handsome, and aloof, and gives off the aura of a damaged soul that the right person could come along and heal, and strong and...where was I?"

"I believe Sir, you were telling her what a terrible idea it was to run away with Shadow."

"I knew that you scarlet scrap heap!" he yelled at Orbot, before turning to Amy again, "It was a terrible idea to..."

She threw her hammer at them, missing them by inches. The doctor laughed for a few seconds, before an almighty crack of wood made him turn to look. She'd destroyed the supporting beam of the stall behind them, and the tin roof fell on all three of them. One thing Shadow had not taught her was to control her temper, but at least she could now focus it better.

Strolling over to the debris to pick up her hammer, she took a moment of pity on their enemy. There was nothing to indicate he knew of the sister he lost. If he was even born when she perished, it was safe to assume his parents had kept her loss secret. It was not her place to reveal the truth to him, but she had studied enough psychology to believe he felt his sisters loss, somehow.

"Running away with Shadow was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not you, not Sonic, not anyone can make me think otherwise."

"Okay guys I'm here to save the d..."

Sonic finally ran on to the scene, his scarf twisted around and his shoes half undone. Amy kicked off the metal sheeting from Eggman so he could see Sonic for himself.

"Oh how nice of you to join us rodent," he mocked, "I hope we didn't interrupt your sleep."

Amy snorted, "I don't think he was sleeping."

"Now Amy," Knuckles piped up, "we all know how deeply Sonic can sleep."

It was at this point Staci strolled through the middle of the scene, smoothing down her fur and doing back up the zip on her top. She winked at Sonic and blew him a kiss as they all silently watch her pass. Once she was out of sight, Eggman took in a deep gasp of breath.

"I was rooting for you hedgehog!"

"What? When have I ever listened to you?" Sonic replied nonchalantly.

"But..you...we...ooooh you randy little rat. Amy, I take it back, you did the right hog. Up top girl."

Without breaking her glare on Sonic she high fived the Doctor, then barked at him to leave or she would let her team mates attack him. He managed to roll his Eggmobile back in to it's upright position and start up the engine. She tried not to laugh as out of the corner of her eye she saw Eggman flip Sonic off before they flew away.

"Hey," he cried after them, "why does she get the praise for this while I'm treated like that?"

Tails and the others walked over to them, "Well she did just defeat Eggman with no help at all."

"Pssh, I've done that a dozen times," Sonic replied with a dismissive flick of his hand.

"Yes, and whichever one of you does it, IT'S ARROGANT. We are a team for a reason! The pair of you pull your head out of your own backsides and stop putting yourself in danger just to prove a point!"

Both hedgehogs jumped at the sudden burst of anger out of the little fox. He, Knuckles and even Sticks sent their noses skyward and walked off together, leaving blue and pink behind.

"That seemed uncalled for."

"Welcome to my world Ames," Sonic sighed, "Tails has been calling me that for years."

"I'm used to 'bossy' and 'overbearing' but arrogant seems a step too far. Still it wasn't like you were going to step in any time soon."

Sonic shrugged, "Well apparently it doesn't matter does it? You took care of everything juuuust fine."

"Doesn't matter? You didn't show up to help save the village because you were too busy with...her," she replied, saying the last word through gritted teeth.

"Jelly, Amy?"

She scowled briefly before rearranging her expression in to a twisted smile.

"Of that? No, I'm quite happy to have more than two braincells to rub together."

He repeated the facial expressions she had pulled right back at her, "Good, that is all you're going to have, because she gets me."

* * *

He didn't consider his options until he started running. He couldn't go back to his hut because Staci would inevitably hunt him down there. He couldn't hide at one of his friends as that could lead him straight back in to Amy's path and she would definitely be baying for his blood now.

He wasn't quite sure why he had said it. Perhaps it's because he could use a good spar and that had been denied him. Maybe it was because Eggman seemed in favour of what Amy had done instead of being mad with her. None of them seemed mad at her, and that wound him up even more. The only one who seemed happy to call out Amy's actions was Staci. That was how she had drawn him in again. Either way he did not belong to Staci, and right at that moment he couldn't face either of them.

The canyon was calling to him. Though they all went there from time to time it was also an excellent place to hide, plenty of caves and high rocks to bury himself inside. He needed a moment to think about what he was going to do. Being between Staci and Amy was as good as being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Both were terrifying, both could destroy him, but whereas one hadn't emotionally hurt him the other was brilliant enough to being out emotions in him.

He needed air so he clambered up high. He was still hidden from anyone at ground level but he could stare in to the sky.

When he had woken up after Amy had so painfully knocked him out a few days ago, he found himself in Staci's bed with her sat at his feet.

"You've been asleep for hours," she had snapped impatiently.

"Did I see her?" he had asked groggily. It hadn't been the correct thing to say.

"Sure enough, it was HER alright. I saw the whole thing. She was real proud of herself. Sauntered through the village like she owned the damn place. She didn't even check if you were okay! Just belted you and ran"

"Are you sure it was..."

"How many pink hedgehogs do ya know? I'm asking seriously...have y'all been seeing others?" she asked, her pitch getting higher.

Sonic shook his head, "It's just...that doesn't sound like her."

Staci crawled over to him and touched the bump on his head, "Poor baby, did you forget? She's been with that Shadow guy for oh so long, he's changed her. I think she must have gone straight back to him after she hurt you."

Sonic wasn't so much of an idiot. He knew Staci could twist things to suit herself, "I better go to her place."

"No!" she had growled, slamming him back down, "I mean, well I got Knuckles to carry you here and he told me they've been told to stay away from her hut. Well I reckon she must be with him...you don't want to see that, do you?"

Looking back at those events now Sonic was sure she was lying, but she had hit a raw nerve and it had worked. He had gone to see Amy the following day instead, and that had ended pretty badly too. His heart had raced when he had heard come through her door, but he had been so angry to overhear her dalliances from her own mouth he couldn't focus. When had heard that message played, he had felt backed in to a corner, and much like a caged beast he had lashed out.

Staci had stuck to him like glue since Amy had come back, and though he was finding it frustrating he was using it as a cover to hide his hurt. Amy was right, he had no right to suggest she had done anything wrong. They were not officially a couple, and he had been with other females, but whereas he knew there was no emotional connection he couldn't say the same for Amy. Though the image of her entwined with Shadow put his heckles up, it was the fear that she was going to fall in love with him that shattered Sonic the most.

There was no sign of his ebony twin, but that didn't mean his mark wasn't there, hanging between them. He rubbed at his temples as he tried to plan his next move.

* * *

She was looking hard at her own reflection for a long time. If there was any chance she was telekinetic it would have shown itself then for her temper could have broken glass without physical contact. She only blinked when her eyes begun to water. Her breathing was so deep she was starting to feel sick and she finally turned away.

It had been quite a morning. Tails had snapped at her, Eggman had judged her and Sonic, well he had tried his best to humiliate her.

Eggman had already changed his tune, so that was no longer a worry. Tails had been right to get angry at her, but she desperately wanted to explain that she was just trying to show them how much her fighting had improved. She hadn't intended to take over the fight but she had surged with power and when she saw the chance to show off, she had. She didn't even notice Sonic was missing until she had knocked Eggman and his robots to the ground using a move she had picked up from Sonic himself. Shadow had taught her to quicken her reflexes and when put in to play these new skills had proven to be very useful.

Of course, what was eating away at her was that idiot Blue. There was no way she was going to believe that he had "given" himself to Staci beyond...bedroom wise. Not Mr Free-as-the-Wind, oh no. He had said that to upset her and though it had worked, it had also made her all the more determined. She knew him well enough to know that there was only one place he would run to when he was trying to hide. Biding her time was pointless so she quickly changed her attire, grabbed a towel and a book, and quickly dropped by Sticks to let her in on the plan.

* * *

An hour or so had gone by when Sonic heard movement from below him. There was a gentle scuff of feet followed by a gentle voice humming a tune. He looked over the edge of his hiding place to see Amy strolling along in a light wrap with a towel slung over her shoulder. He pricked up an ear when her communicator beeped. He could only hear her half of the conversation but that caught his attention.

"Oh hey Sticks, I'm already in the canyon...no...he's probably with Tails...yea that little hidden spot by the beach...no Sticks I'm not going nude, might try losing the bikini top at most...I'm sure it is freeing but no...yes I trust you, nobody can find me. I'll just be a couple of hours...yes, I promise, I'm not going anywhere."

As she walked away he kept a very close eye on her. He decided it would be safest if he were to keep an eye on her...from a distance of course...lest she did decide to disappear again. Yes he better watch out for her, it was the right thing to do.

* * *

At the start of the year she might not have noticed someone following her, but her senses were fully awake and she knew the sound of his footfall. He ran in bursts, catching up as she got too far ahead and ducking out of sight when he risked getting too close. It's lucky Eggman was dumb because Sonic was as predictable as the sunrise.

She slipped in between two boulders. Unless you knew better you wouldn't think there was a space but she knew better. Or rather, Sticks knew better. Apparently she did use this as a place to hide and yes she even stripped down to bare fur and practised Tai Chi. Amy would not be going that far, but if showing him what a good fighter she had become wasn't getting his attention, she would have to use her more feminine charms.

It was actually a beautiful little spot and she lay her towel down on the soft grass. The boulders were the only way in to this hidden, minute valley. She made sure she was in view on the entrance, but far enough away that he could slip in and hide. This wouldn't be nearly as much fun if he knew she was aware of his presence.

With a little bit of an embarrassed flutter she removed the light robe so she was just left in her bikini and lay down on her front. Propped up on her elbows she opened her book and pretended to read. Her eyes skimmed over the words as she was too focussed on Sonic to pay it any real attention. She was sure he must be there, behind a tree or one of the larger rocks, spying on her. She took a deep breath and undid the knot on her bikini, letting it fall from around her neck. She was still covered up, just, but hopefully she had caught his eye.

He knew it was wrong, he knew he should either leave or at the very least, look away. Okay so he had a small inkling she might have been partially undressing at some point, but now he was here he was stuck between horror and bliss. Horror because he was spying on a half naked Amy while they were in the middle of their biggest fall out, and bliss because...well...look at her.

Staci was hot, and Staci knew it. Amy had tipped over from sweet to sexy as she had matured and the bashful way she was still covering herself was much hotter than the brash bandicoot could ever hope to be. Being with Shadow hadn't changed her, at least not in the negative way he had expected. Maybe...maybe he was wrong to be so angry with her after all. Would going over and apologising right now be the worst thing in the world? Show her how sorry he was.

He nearly squeaked in surprise when his communicator suddenly beeped. Rather than dare be caught he ran and quickly as his legs could take him, hoping that it had happened too quickly for Amy to notice. She had been facing his direction, so even if he was hiding it would only take a quick turn to have seen him.

"Tails, is everything okay? No offence but it better not be!"

"Babe, where are you?".

He froze, and the warmth that had spread through him suddenly dissipated, "Staci? What are you doing with Tails communicator?

"Oh it's still on his wrist. When I couldn't find you, he very kindly let me call you on it, didn't you Tails?"

Sonic heard the nervous sound of Tails agreeing in the background. He had always been wary of women, especially ones as proactive as Staci. He doubted very much Tails was willing participating.

"I'm just out for a run Staci. I like to do that from time to time."

"Yes I know babe but she has disappeared too and I was making sure you weren't giving in to her because you KNOW I wouldn't be so pleased about that," her voice voice came through, speedy and shrill.

Sonic tried to ignore the inappropriate thoughts that were threatening to cloud his judgement, "I've not seen her."

There was a pause, before her voice chimed back in "Come back now baby. We can finish what we started earlier."

Through her flirtatious giggle he heard a groan from Tails. The communicator clicked off suddenly and knowing how impressed Staci would be if she didn't get his own way, he begrudgingly made his way back. He needed a way to get rid of what had built up inside him anyway. He wanted to stay mad at Amy, but his resolve was breaking.


	14. Internal Combustion

_I have been fiddling with this chapter on and off for what seems too long now. I want it to be perfect, but now I am overthinking it and I dare not touch it any more. It's not the end, but we are hitting a very key arc in the story. The ballad of Sonic and Amy._

 _Some strong language. Also, the chapter gets a little more...citrus flavoured further in. Extra warning put in place if you wish to avoid._

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega and the Boom team_

* * *

Amy sat at the table in Sticks burrow, foot tapping angrily below her. Sticks was busy making her a hot drink, but at that moment she could have boiled the kettle on Amy's head alone.

"It was a good plan. We just didn't factor in psycho girlfriends."

"She isn't his girlfriend Sticks."

"I just meant...I mean they had spent a lot of time together...but I didn't know she was keeping such an eye on him. I would have warned you if I knew."

Amy looked at her, "She hasn't been like this from day one?"

Sticks thought as she poured the tea, "I don't think so. She was very happy to go around telling everyone that the two of them were together, but less concerned about them showing up together."

Amy felt her tension begin to melt away, "I AM still a threat then. I thought he was lost when I saw him run so quickly back to her when she called him. Talk about whipped."

"Nah Sonic knows she's a psycho. She had Tails in a headlock when Sonic got to them, so Tails informs me."

"Why did she have Tails in a headlock?"

Sticks put their drinks down and smiled broadly "He gagged at something she said. Tails is so head over heels for Zooey that he's never glanced at Staci. Staci can't cope with that"

Amy smiled as well. She looked at her tea carefully, it smelled bitter. Taking a sip...she found it to be just as bitter to taste.

"Sticks, you aren't still mad at me are you? This isn't anything like moose pi..."

"Moose? And accidentally see the cross eyed moose and curse us all again? I could never be that angry at anyone! It's nettle tea"

"That's...good, I think."

Sticks put her hand on Amy's, "Yea, I'm still mad at you. Not because you got horizontal with Shadow...at least not now I know you aren't in love with him. I'm mad because I couldn't check you were safe, after I tried to put you out of harms way."

Amy squeezed her crazy friends fingers affectionately, "It was never my intention to make everyone worry about me. The thing is...you shouldn't have to look after me at all, and once I knew Shadow's intentions were honest it seemed best to stay put and learn what he could teach me."

"Showed you a thing or two did he?"

Amy rolled her eyes, "Sticks if that's a joke..."

"I'm allowed one or two aren't I? Unless you are willing to give me more details?"

"You really want to know everything?"

"Sure I do! I might even think about forgiving you completely if I know exactly where you're coming from. And perhaps, tell you the one little trick to help change Sonics mind. Depending on how your story goes of course."

"You know a magic trick do you?"

Sticks beamed, "Magic? That's crazy."

Once Amy started pouring, she didn't stop. As much as she could remember she disclosed to her friend. From their fights to their fireside, what Amy planned to hide in her memories of Shadow all came out. She wanted Sticks to start to understand the Shadow that she had come to know, instead of the distant threat they perceived him still to be. She felt herself blush when she got to her intimate stories, but Sticks didn't even flinch. She was most interested still in the stories from the woods.

Sticks was chewing on one of her claws thoughtfully, "You never asked him why he tried to bite a chunk out of himself every time he..."

Amy put both hands up, "Whatever word you plan to use next, stop! No, I didn't. I didn't really know how to broach the subject. I suppose I was too embarrassed."

"Ever do it doggy style?"

Amy flushed beet red, "Don't you know what subtle means?! No, I didn't feel comfortable like that, too exposed."

Sticks nodded slowly and squinted her eyes like she was concentrating on something. She spoke again after taking a deep breath.

"So the other Sonic, forest freak, he tried to humiliate you?"

"That seemed to be it's aim Sticks, perhaps it was trying to put me off coming home because at that point I was so close."

"You don't seem to be too worried what the village thinks though? Given you used to be..."

"Very concerned about my status?" Amy interrupted, "I was, and I still am, but I'd prefer to be true to myself first. Forward thinking female Sticks, that how I want to be thought of."

Sticks nodded, "I agree, and that's coming from someone who is always being called backwards. You gotta do you. But you also gotta do that blue hedgehog."

Amy choked on her tea, "Try being more blunt Sticks!"

"Okay. Sonic always moved too quickly for you and it made you nervous. You didn't think you could bypass that, so when you thought you were going to lose him for good you found a way to get your experience...because you hate not knowing what you're doing and hate it even more if Sonic thinks you don't know what you're doing."

"...too blunt."

"I aint wrong though huh?"

Amy sighed, "I guess not. I just...hadn't realised it."

"Sonic doesn't want to be with that slut, he wants to be with you, but you gotta show him that in the only way that will work."

"I've tried not caring and I've tried to impress him in the lowest form possible. What else can I try?"

Sticks leaned back in her chair and smiled, "Fight. Or tell him you've always been in love with him. Whichever works for you."

Amy rested her chin on her hand, "That's your sure fire method of winning him over?"

Sticks smiled her sideways grin, "Nah, actually I got something far more savage than that. You still got that old dress of yours?"

* * *

"Staci Bandicoot, get out here!"

Amy stood outside the twins hut. The sun was setting behind her and her shadow fell long in front of her. In her mind's eye she kept the ghost Sonic of her woodland nightmares. It steadied her resolve and it inflamed her heart. She was not ready to confess her undying love just yet, but she'd been sporting for a fight with Staci as long as she could remember.

"You too Sonic," she continued, "not like you have any pants to put back on."

They both emerged through the door, Staci looking like her blood was boiling. Sonic was pulling his best 'whatever' face while simultaneously looking very guilty.

"What in the deepest depths of hell do you want Rosie? Can't you leave me and my boy in peace to love each other," the lilac one hollered.

"First off, Staci, I would like an apology, for lying to Knuckles the other day. When he told you where I was, he was under the impression he was telling Perci. Since you referred to yourself as Perci. Easy to do as you're identical twins who always dress alike."

Staci's eye twitched, "Please, y'all know how easily confused that doofus gets, I clearly recall I told him I was Staci."

Amy saw the twitch as her first blow.

"Huh yea well that doofus forgot his way to your front door when he dropped Sonic off! So, oh it's silly, he was still downstairs when he heard you telling Sonic I was probably with Shadow. And well, this confused him even more because he had told you Sticks was looking after me. So you knew for sure I wasn't with Shadow"

She watched as Sonic turned to Staci, but the bandicoot held Amy's stare.

"Well I'm sure that is what you told him sugar. I'm sure if we asked Twigs she would back up the story, but I was trying to protect Sonic from your lies."

Amy cocked her head sideways, "What lies would they be?"

Staci crossed her arms, "Do you deny you fucked that other hedgehog while Sonic was here trying to bury his worry."

Amy winced but she would not back down, "Charming language Stace. I haven't denied anything, and last I was aware Sonic was buried in you."

Amy didn't know whether to laugh or cry when she saw a small smirk in the corner of Sonics mouth. She had missed that smirk so much she nearly burst finally seeing it again.

"I was here for him! While you left him behind and in pain I looked after him. I cared for him. I..."

"When is his Birthday?"

Staci blinked a few times, "What?"

"His Birthday? See the villagers want to throw him a party but they need to know the date. Also his favourite flavour of cake, what he's allergic to, his favourite music, the usual."

Staci looked dumbfounded, "And y'all couldn't tell them?"

"Oh I could," Amy beamed, feeling the dagger poised at Staci's throat, "but since you've been telling them all how close you two are they figured they should come to you. What was it you told Comedy Chimp? Oh it's on the tip of my tongue."

"You...dare..."

"That was it! You told him he could entertain at your wedding, as long as he brought his camera crew. He got the impression he wouldn't be waiting long. Sonic 'might propose any day' were your words so he tells me."

Staci charged at her, but Amy didn't even flinch. Though the bandicoot was a good little scrapper, she was no fighter, and her clumsy movements were of little threat. Much as she predicted, Staci grabbed on to the hood of the jacket Amy was wearing and tore it from her shoulders. The evenings in her village were warmer than the woods, and the halter neck dress Sticks had insisted she wear was adequate enough warmth. She folded her shoulders back and the jacket slipped off with ease. The move made Staci stumble and she threw away the jacket in anger.

Staci was behind her, and Amy knew she would be reaching for her quills. Shadow had grabbed her enough times from behind for Amy to know just how to defend herself. Reaching over her shoulder she grabbed hold of Staci's hand and threw the bitch clean over her head. As she landed with a painful thud, she left herself exposed to attack. Amy clenched her fist and readied her arm to strike.

"Amy don't hurt her!"

Amy looked up. She had almost forgotten Sonic was there. For a moment Amy had seen red and she was deep in fight mode, ready to really hurt Staci. She could have, but it was the right thing that she didn't. Amy had no worries about the consequences, but she couldn't allow Sonic to see her like that, a maniacally jealous woman. He thought such awful things of her already, this bow didn't need another string. But as he ran over to them he didn't lean down to help Staci up, let alone give Amy a piece of his mind.

"Fine," Amy sighed, and turning round she scooped up her jacket, "I've said my peace anyway."

"Sonic, are you just going to stand there?" Staci cried, but she may as well have been talking to a brick wall. Sonic was transfixed.

"Amy...your back," he said, half laughing.

What was the obsession with her back? Sticks had been just the same. The pink hedgehog twisted herself, "What, what's there?"

She looked at him as his face went from a confused scowl to a wide eyed, open mouthed smile.

"There's nothing there."

In a heartbeat she suddenly found herself scooped off the floor, thrown over Sonic's shoulder, and speeding out of sight of a less than impressed Staci. When Sonic wanted out of a situation he could be gone in a heartbeat, and Staci didn't even have time to yell a curse. They didn't stop until they reached her hut and he practically dropped her on her feet. Before she could process anything further he slammed his lips against hers.

* * *

Shadow was keeping his distance. He didn't usually find hiding such a struggle, but when he wanted to leap to Amy's defence so many times a day he was losing his cool. After seeing her come so close to losing herself in the woods he couldn't bear to walk away until he knew she was safe.

After watching her battle Eggman he was safe in the knowledge she could hold her own in a physical fight. For the most part too she was hardened against the judgements of her friends and neighbours. He had been there when she walked in to the woods that night and it had been an internal battle of his own not to swoop in and save her from the world. He knew she didn't want that, he supposed he would eventually have regretted it too. The blue fool had stomped on her the worst though and Shadow had come so close to punching his lights out. But he could see she loved him through it all and the battle inside her heart she would have to fight alone.

Now as he watched Sonic tear from the bandicoots house, Amy thrown over his shoulder, Shadow knew it was time to exit for a while. He made sure Staci didn't follow them before making one very quick appearance at the home of Amy Rose. When he spied through the window, she and Sonic were locked in an embrace. There was a pang of sadness buried in the recesses of his heart that his part in her life was over. But a little part of her would forever be his, and that was enough.

He was gone in a blink.

* * *

She seized up, but she did not pull away. Her head was telling her to be angry for thinking he could mess around with her emotions like this, but her heart was reminding her this is what she wanted. The smell of the salty air they lived in clung to his fur, but on a deeper level was a scent that couldn't be explained but was inherently him. Swooped up in the nostalgia of the first kisses they shared, she released her jaw and allowed his tongue to probe deeper.

He was just as greedy as he always had been, but she no longer felt awkward or bashful. He had one hand behind her head, and the other remained steady on her waist. At least he had learned to keep his wandering mitts steady. The mixture of his lips, and his tongue, and the possessive way he held her in place began to make her feel woozy. She pushed him away to try and get some oxygen back to her brain.

"I don't think," she gasped, "I can keep up with your impulses."

He grinned a sideways smirk, "Only one way to find out."

"What I mean," she quickly replied, keeping him at bay with her hands pressed hard against his chest, "is that only 30 minutes ago you were..."

"Trying to find a way to tell Staci it's over without her killing me? Yea, very true."

She gave him a sceptical look.

"When I saw her trying to really hurt Tails I knew I had had enough. You were right Ames, I got involved with her for all the wrong reasons. Knowing you were with Shadow..."

"Which happened knowing you were with Staci..."

They both fell silent. A mutual understanding finally hung in the air, mixed with the raw guilt that they had both betrayed the other. Sonic in his body, and Amy in her heart, because Amy didn't feel she could capture his heart and he wasn't strong enough to wait for her body.

It didn't feel the right time for 'I love you', but neither could she bring herself to tell him to leave. She wanted him so badly she knew she couldn't wait. It was more than marking her territory, it was more than just physical pleasure, and it was much more than teaching Staci a lesson. It was...it was love.

"You are here to stay, aren't you Amy? You and Shadow are no longer..."

"It was never going to be forever. I told you I was coming back. Here I am."

"You can't blame me for being shaken, you've never done anything like that before. I couldn't ask if I had done something wrong because you kept ignoring my calls."

"I am sorry! I...oh Sonic I was scared okay? I suddenly had no idea who I was any more and I hate not being in control. Growing up had happened so gently that when all these feelings coursed through me in one go, I lost control. Shadow was enough of a stranger to have no expectations of me, but familiar enough to make me feel secure. I wanted to come back stronger for you."

He rubbed at his forehead, "For me? Amy you're...you're fine as you are. You're controlling and temperamental and blinkered to how your actions affect others. You are also smart, so smart, charitable, thoughtful, beautiful, protective and boy Amy Rose, are you strong."

She felt herself welling up, "Wish you'd have told me that sooner."

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "Yea I guess I do too. And look, I'm sorry I've been with other women. I..."

"You're young and dumb. So am I," she said, smiling weakly.

"I'm not forgiven am I?"

"Not by a longshot Blue, but you're going to make it up to me."

He walked over to her, and turned her around so they were both looking at the setting sun. They lived in a little slice of paradise, but just because the world around them was beautiful it didn't mean life couldn't have it's complications. Annoying and dangerous as Eggman could be, he kept them entertained. Their friends had their own lives to start; Tails was already called upon to help in the city from time to time. Knuckles was happy as a nomad but he had always intended to visit Angel Island again some day. Sticks...well her family line was as old as the village itself so she was tasked with being both it's clown and it's guardian.

"I'll spend forever making it up to you Ames, if you never leave me again."

As the sun finally vanished over the horizon, Sonic leaned down and began to trace tender kisses along her neck. They were deliciously ticklish, and she giggled, not embarrassed to do so. She turned her face to kiss him, eager to set the pace they had started earlier now the air was clear.

* * *

 _ *****Warning: Smut dead ahead*****_

* * *

As their lips fought for dominance she could feel his hands begin to wrestle with the tie on her dress. He got stuck a couple of times, and with ever growing impatience he finally ripped it clean off. She gasped in surprise, but rather than be angry as she had expected, she found it deeply arousing. His hands began their frantic exploration of her body, as though he was trying to memorise every inch of her before she disappeared. Again.

"I've wanted to do this for so long," he said in a deep, sultry voice. He growled against her neck as his fingers delved toward the sweet spot between her legs.

She squeaked with joy as pleasure shot through her, whispering his name in to his ear, "Sonic, faster."

He did as she commended and her legs almost gave way. She didn't realise until that moment that Shadows movements with her had been calculated and virtually cautious. It was right for him, but in that same sense, the rush and urgent nature of Sonics movements were right for him too. She now knew they were what she wanted.

Shedding the last of any clothing, they faced each other. There was a smile of satisfaction across his lips as his eyes drank her in. She was still a little coy, her arms subconsciously covering herself, but he loved that about her. He wished now he had waited for her, but what had happened had happened and they had both learned from their experiences. He no longer just wanted her, he needed her.

With a kiss on her forehead, he took her hand and guided her to the couch, gently indicating for her to lean over. With Shadow she had still felt too ashamed to expose herself like this, but with Sonic she seemed to crave it. Elbows resting on the backrest, knees on the seat, she felt in full view of his lustful gaze. He lightly traced his lips along her lower back, finally licking along the length of her tail, the warmth of his breath drawing the smallest of whimpers from her. His hands ran down the sides of her body, finally taking a gentle grip of her hips.

"Ames," he breathed.

She looked over her shoulder at him and gave him the filthiest smile he had ever seen. Encouraged he slid himself inside her, turning her grin in to a gasp.

He felt like a perfect fit. She expected his pace to be as speedy as it had been in their foreplay, but it was far more languid than she had ever known him be. His hands kept a secure but careful hold on her hips, while she was digging her nails harder in to the fabric of the couch. Every time she gasped his name he would thrust a little harder, and she could feel every nerve in her body pleasured all at once.

His grip on her grew tighter, and though it began to hurt it couldn't beat the desirable feeling of him losing control. There was a savageness to Sonic that he usually held at bay, but as his rasped breathing turned in to growls of pleasure she knew the caged animal was breaking free.

Running his hands against the grain of her fur, leaving lines where his fingers had been, he traced up her body and down her arms. He was leaning over her now, fingers intertwining with hers. He was growling from the very bottom of his throat; a guttural sound that cried back to their animal ancestors. Inhibitions had been lost entirely and she was feeling such desires she had not achieved previously.

As his speed increased and she cried out to the rhythm of his thrusts, she knew it was nearly time.

"Ah...Amy...grab a cushion," he stuttered.

"Wha AH...wh...why?"

"Just...trust me."

She blindly grasped for the nearest cushion, which was no mean feat as her logical thought began to abandon her. She buried her face in the soft cover as Sonic finally hit his top speed. She couldn't have been entirely sure, but softly in her ear she heard him gasp 'I love you'.

Many things happened at once, and later she would tell him it was only because she finally reached climax that he survived.

Through the virtually blinding pleasure of her orgasm was the feeling of a deep, sharp pain between her shoulder blades. The pressure sent her limp, but with her top half already propped up and her head in a cushion she didn't collapse. There was a rush of warmth in her lower abdomen as Sonic released inside her, and as she felt his teeth pierce her skin she let out an almighty cry. Her orgasm racked her little body but all the time Sonic kept his grip on her.

He finally released his jaws when her when her body stopped quivering with shock. As the feeling came back in to her arms she tried to push herself up, but with a careful hand on her shoulder her kept her down. He licked the wound he had delivered on her back, and in spite of herself she moaned contentedly at the sensation.

When they finally recovered enough she snuggled in to his arms as he lay on his back. As he stroked her back he accidentally caught the wound and she hissed through her teeth.

"Care to tell me what that was?" she asked, too tired to be angry.

"So that was a surprise to you?"

She thought back to Shadow biting down on his arm, but decided against bringing his name in to the moment. Amy had nearly laughed when Sticks had told her a backless dress could tip the scales in Amy's favour. Why Sticks hadn't just told her the truth she would have to investigate later.

"You could say that yes, quite a surprise."

"I guess it's a bit primeval," he sighed.

"Primeval? You bit me."

He chuckled, "For the record, I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up. I would have thought you knew, especially since Shadow is a hedgehog too. I think."

His name hung in the air momentarily, and she pushed herself up to look in his eyes.

"That's another conversation for another time. Before I bite you back...why did you do it?"

He smirked at her again, apologetically, "I heard on the grapevine...or via macho cousins who shall remain nameless I should say...that it's not common between many animals any more...but it's something hedgehogs still do. It's a mixture of not letting you get away and marking you as my property. Preserving the species, if you go limp you can't get away while I...er...you know...at the end there..."

She tried to sit upright to show how indignant she was, but the effort was still too much while she was enjoying the feel of his fur against her cheek.

"So you clubbed me over the head and dragged me in to a cave, so I could spawn your children?" she growled in to his chest. He laughed again.

"Er yea I guess so. Well not while you aren't in season right? Didn't you wonder why you have that patch on your back? Don't you have female family members who would let you in on that?"

"No. But if I ever see Mary again..."

"Mary?"

"You don't need to know about her."

"...are you sure?"

She scoffed, "Had I known it was for that do you think I would have left my back exposed like that? So what now? You lay claim, plant your seeds, and I'm yours forever?"

He fell quiet for a moment and she listened to the quickening pace of his heartbeat.

"Shadow knew he couldn't keep you. I was shocked when I didn't see a mark from him, but it meant that you were still free to be mine, no matter what happened between you and him. I'm not saying I can keep you, the bite will vanish if left to heal and you are free to do as you wish but..."

She sank her teeth in to the cleft of his neck. Not hard enough to draw blood as he had, but enough to shut him up and make her point.

"If I am yours, then you are mine. Deal?"

"Heh...deal."


	15. The Enigma of Truth

_Well, credit here to the very thorough guest review. This chapter was originally a little different, and much shorter, but after being reminded that Sonic hasn't really learned his lesson I decided I needed to cover consequences a little more thoroughly. Sonic can be a piece of work (Fleetway Sonic is a nasty little bugger at times) but I want Boom Sonic to be naive about the emotions of others as opposed to not caring. His past is catching up with him._

 _There are a few names in this chapter lifted from the comics/games. **They are simply a nod to the franchise** , they are not intended to be those characters (this would be a very complex fic if so)._

 _There may be a delay after this as we head in to Christmas, but this fic is not over yet._

 _Sonic at al belong to Sega_

* * *

She woke up still buried in the fur on his chest. She was pleasantly surprised to find he hadn't run away, or that she hadn't dreamed the entire event. As she pushed herself up she felt the sting of his mark on her back. In a very twisted way, she liked the pain.

Her blue hero was snoring loudly as his mouth was hanging open. She chuckled to herself. Even when he was a mess he was cute. Yawning herself she stroked her head and felt that her quills were all over the place, so she quickly showered to get herself presentable for the outside world. For a wonderful evening she had forgotten the village around her was scrutinizing her, analysing her every move for a sign of...something. The hot water washed away those thoughts momentarily and as she wrapped a towel around herself there came the smell of greasy food from the kitchen.

"Oh darling," she sighed dramatically as she walked over to Sonic, "you cooked us a nutritional breakfast."

"You know I can't cook. Besides, I always eat a lot after a night of..."

As he trailed off she scrunched her nose and nodded at him that his decision to cut off was best. They couldn't ignore that they both had history with someone else forever, but she wanted to preserve this first morning.

"Next time, let me prepare breakfast for us. Something with a bit more energy than empty calories."

"So there will be a next time?"

She smiled coyly at him, suddenly very shy again. Sensing the change in the air, Sonic rubbed his ear awkwardly, and handed her a burger with an embarrassed cough. Amy had barely taken a bite before there was a hammering at her door. She gave Sonic a concerned look. He put a finger to his lips and ducked down behind the counter in the kitchen. She pulled her robe tight around herself and went to see who it was, prepared for whatever was on the other side. It was Knuckles.

"Oh, morning! Everything okay?" she asked, beaming innocently at him.

"I need to speak with Sonic."

Amy was a little taken aback with the aggression in his voice. Looking in his eyes she noticed he looked almost in pain.

"He is...I mean...have you checked his hu..."

"I know he's here Amy, I need him now!"

She took in a breath to try and protest, but Sonic appeared at her side. They both knew the tone in Knuckles voice was one they heard very rarely, and out of concern they ignored how the situation looked. Sonic followed Knuckles in silence, and Amy was left to watch them walk away, her mind screaming a thousand questions that she knew would have to wait.

* * *

Sonic knew when not to lose his temper, and now was certainly the time to keep it in check. Knuckles wouldn't say a word to him but Sonic could feel the anger radiating off the bulky echidna. It had been a very long time since he had seen such a solidly, serious frown on his friends face and it left an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach.

They were walking toward the village square. Sonic had flown through so quickly that morning he hadn't noticed the litter that was strewn about the place. There seemed to be paper caught in every bush, pasted on every wall, sat on every seat at the currently still empty Meh Burger.

"Woah this place is a mess, but I didn't expect you to get to worked up about littering like this Knucks."

Knuckles turned to him, "I'd take a closer look if I were you."

Sonic looked him up and down suspiciously, but with a shrug of his shoulders he picked up the nearest paper. It wasn't a piece of meaningless scrap at all, it was a poster. Crudely hand drawn and torn at the edges, but it's evil intentions were clear as day. Dead centre was a cartoonishly evil image of Amy, and written all around the edges were vile, slanderous words. The next poster he picked up was of himself, with similar wording. As near as he could tell every lose piece of paper caught in the breeze was a picture of either of them, or both of them on the more creative pieces.

"That psycho," he murmured, knowing just who was to blame. He darted around the village as swiftly as he could, grabbing every scrap of paper he saw, hoping beyond hope that very few were up early enough to have seen the posters. Dave had barely been awake when he served Sonic, and Old Monkey was too doddery to have noticed anyway. After a few laps he was sure he had found them all and he ran back to Knuckles.

"We need to get rid of these before anyone sees them. Not a word to Amy either!"

Knuckles nodded, "Come with me, I've got a drum we can burn them in."

Sonic sighed, "Great. Thanks buddy. Don't worry though, won't let this bother me!"

All the walk to the secluded nook on the beach, Knuckles remained silent, picking up any paper Sonic accidentally dropped along the way. When they reached Knuckles current residence he already had a fire going, and Sonic eagerly dropped all the posters in the drum. He watched the childish drawings of his face curl and burn; the spiteful hate against Amy eradicated before they could hurt her.

"That was a close one. How did I not notice them? Did you see her putting them out? I knew she'd take it badly but..."

"But what do you care about another girl you dumped? Not like the others mattered."

Sonic felt his jaw drop open. He felt his spines raise on his back and he no longer felt any need to keep his anger in check.

"Where the hell did that come from?" he snarled.

Knuckles didn't flinch at the sight of Sonic with his hackles raised. Buried in the sand by his foot was the piece of paper that had blown his way at sunrise and turned his world a little darker. He pulled it out and handed it over to Sonic.

Sonic whipped it from his hand and studied. There was no image on this poster, but there was a list of names. There were five in total and each was scratched out so they were barely readable. All except the last name which had been circled several times and a small broken heart had been drawn next to it.

"You all think I'm dumb, and most of the time I am. But I'm going to guess that is a list of all the girls you've slept with and walked away from?"

Sally, Elise, Mina and Staci had all been written down and then scribbled over. The last name on the list, circled, with that foreboding broken heart next to it, was Amy. There was no way Staci could have found all this out in one night, meaning she had been spying on him for quite a while. But his fear and anger at that would have to wait and he could feel Knuckles eyes burning in to him.

Sonic sucked in a deep breath and looked up from the paper, "Yea, so? You knew Amy wasn't the first..."

"I thought Staci was! That made me mad enough. But putting Amy fifth? And you thought I was worried about _you_?"

Sonic could see that Knuckles was starting to shake, but there would be no backing down.

"You're mad about Staci because you've always fancied the twins. These other girls mean nothing to you, so what do they matter? None of them were my own species until Amy..."

Knuckled punched. Distracted by the list again Sonic was caught off guard and he was sent flying through the sand. He'd been caught in the same place Amy had socked him and the pain jolted through his skull like a lightning bolt. Knuckles had never hit him that hard before no matter how much they had squabbled over the years. That shock and the pain stopped him from getting back up on his feet.

"I am the last of my kind. Are you saying I will never have a strong and loving bond with another creature?"

Sonic cracked his jaw carefully, "I didn't mean it like..."

"So these other girls...they _could_ have meant something to you? Any one of them could have been just as important as Amy?" Knuckled probed with a deep, throaty voice.

Sonic was still trying to blink away the stars, his head pounding but his heart ready and on fire, "None of them could light a candle to her. Amy is special."

Knuckled walked over and grabbed Sonics scarf, pulling him up until they were nose to nose.

"Special? Not enough for you to wait for her. Have you ever, once in your life, sat back and waited? Or are you just so used to being Sonic the Hedgehog that anything but getting your own way is unthinkable? You just have to have what you want."

Sonic tried to pull himself free, but in upper body strength Knuckles had him licked. His feet were just off the floor and for a brief moment he considered how hard he would have to kick to get Knuckles to drop him. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I never knew what Amy wanted! She could close herself off at the drop of a hat! And no I'm not patient, but when I thought I'd lost her to Shadow for good...I just...," Sonic took a deep breath, "what was so much better about him? How did he win her over in a matter of days, when I feel like I've been fucking up for years."

Knuckles dropped him. Sonic landed with a thud but the will to fight had gone, and he lay flat on his back in the sand. The simple piece of paper that had caused to much damaged was pierced several times by his spines. It was the first time, since he had left Sally that night a couple of years ago, that he felt a real regret for his actions.

The echidna stood over him. His expression softened a little but he did not offer a helping hand either.

"Last night, Sticks told me and Tails what Amy went through to come home. We were all so interested in what she had done with Shadow that we didn't care to ask her about how she felt. We were wrong to do that."

Sonic frowned up at him, "What she went through? What are you talking about?"

Knuckles rubbed at his chin thoughtfully, "She didn't tell you?"

Sonic could feel his impatience growing again, "Tell...me...what?"

* * *

She was pacing. She knew she was pacing but she couldn't stop herself, so she lapped her table again and again to try and get her feet to rest. They guys had been gone for a couple of hours and her communicator sat silent. The look in Knuckles eye had positively frightened her, and he would be a strong fight even for Sonic. If they were fighting, and if they were was it each other or was it someone else.

It couldn't be Shadow could it? No, he was nowhere near their village, she was sure of it. Even if they had found him he wouldn't have too much trouble fighting them off. Not that they had a reason to fight him. Well, Sonic maybe had a thing or two to say, but he had marked her as his now and she was happy with that.

Was he happy about that? Was a mark like a binding contract and now he felt cornered? Was he planning to run, did Knuckles know? Was Knuckles helping him?

When her phone rang she screamed in surprise. Feeling a little foolish she smoothed down her dress and picked up the receiver.

"Hey sugar."

Amy sucked in a breath, "If you are looking for another fight I am ready for one!"

"...well nice to know Staci hasn't upset ya too much doll."

"Perci? Oh Perci I'm so sorry! I didn't mean you, I..."

There was a chuckle, "Y'all don't have to explain. I've been talking to Stace most of the night. She had some pretty words too."

Amy grimaced. Perci was a good friend, but she was also a twin. While Staci had failed most of her studies, Perci had thrived and was now away at University. Both girls were adept with a screwdriver but Perci was putting it to medical application. How twins who were so close, and in many ways so similar, be so different would forever be a puzzle to Amy.

"What did she tell you?"

There was a pause at the other end before a long sigh, "I aint angry with you sugar. I know my sister, and I know that temper of hers. I gotta read between some blue lines here, but y'all took a trip recently huh?"

"Yes. I've been...in training, with Shadow. I wanted to work on my combat skills and he could teach me things Sonic couldn't."

It wasn't a lie, but she was hoping that Perci was taking what Staci had told her with a pinch of salt. If she played it smooth she could sweep the rest under the rug.

"Oh, well sugar I always thought you were tough as old boots, but I guess we can all be just a little better. Gotta say I envy ya though, he is one fine piece of hedgehog. So like a shadow though huh? Dark and untouchable. Why I bet he aint ever even smiled."

Amy laughed lightly, "Oh you can get him to smile."

"Ooooh tell me more."

"...oh shit."

Perci laughed, "Look sugar you give me five minutes with him or Blue and I would be a happy girl. But I know how you feel about Sonic, and Staci...Staci shouldn't have tried to jump in like that. Oh you'd swear she's a vulture under her fur. Since we were young 'uns she would always flash her underthings at the boys to stop them chattin with me. Sugar...I'm callin to warn ya. I tried to talk her down but she is mad as a hatter."

Amy gulped, "I did...I may have done her wrong. I may have done a few things wrong."

"Oh no, no no no sugar no! Blue has been a fool for going near any girl but you. Having your own fun is nothing to feel bad about! Staci doesn't love him, and I'll bet brass for buttons he didn't love her. She lost to you sugar beet. That is where this anger is comin from."

Amy could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't know what, or who they were for. Perhaps it was that she had neglected her friendship for so long. Perhaps it was in mourning for how simple her life with Sonic could have been. Perhaps even, a sense of regret.

"Amy," Perci said, breaking the silence, "be prepared for what she is going to try and do to you. Both of you. If you got your claws in to him now you gotta hold on for dear life."

A lump developed in Amy's throat that hurt to swallow, so before she broke she changed the subject.

"So, tell me about University! What are your peers like?"

"Where to start. Oh I just got a new room mate. Think she's a few years older. Beautiful thing though, such white fur for a bat..."

* * *

She had only just put the phone down when her door opened and Sonic walked in. His eye, which had only just healed, was even more black and swollen than before. His expression was dark and her heart froze.

"Sonic! What happened to you?" she cried, running over to him. He seized her hands before she could touch him.

"To me? What does that matter?"

Her heart began to race with a familiar panic and she fought to stop her voice showing it.

"Was this an Eggman fight? Why didn't you call me to help? Don't just leave me on the sidelines like that! What's happened to Knuckles?"

He let go of her hands, and pulled out a piece of paper from under his left glove. Handing it to her he stepped away and faced the opposite wall. She caught whatever words were forming in the mouth and shut them down, before opening the paper he had given her. It was a list of names, girls names, scribbled out roughly but just about legible. She didn't know the first three, but the last two names were Staci, and her own. Amy was still untouched, but it was circled several times. Next to it was a rough doodle of a broken heart. As she scrunched the paper in to a ball it was clear what this was.

"The city girls."

"Yeah," he croaked, still looking away.

"What is this? A checklist?"

"That is probably the only homework Staci has ever done. Those names are accurate and in order. It can't have been easy for her, so she's been spending time on it."

Amy swallowed hard, "Why are you showing me this?"

He finally turned around, "You're there, at the bottom. The fifth name in my history. Not the first, but the fifth. And after you...after what you went through in those woods. You could have stayed with Shadow, you could have lived a new life, but you went through sheer hell and what have I done to deserve it?"

She didn't speak. She didn't move. She wasn't prepared to ask herself these questions yet, so she had nothing to give him. She had only talked about the incident in the woods with Sticks because she wasn't ready to talk further about it yet. Whatever expression she wore it couldn't have been the right one, as he threw open the door and dashed from sight.


	16. Make Villains of Heros

_Hello all, me again. Welcome to the chapter I dub "the block". I know where I am going with my story, it almost distracts me. I found this chapter hard because I'm trying to cross a bridge to get to the finale. Will Shadow come back? Will Staci steal Sonic away? Will Knuckles ever meet cameo Rouge? You can't know yet, but I can and I want to get there but I don't want to rush and forsake the flow. This isn't needless filler, it's setting plot points but it might not have the same juice as other chapters._

 _Still, I have to break anyway as I'm away over Christmas as I just can't type as easily on a tablet. See you on the other side, and thanks again for sticking with me and reviewing. Honestly it makes my day._

 _Sonic at al belong to Sega_

* * *

Tails view of love and romance was straight out of a film. When two people were fated to be together there was no force on Mobius that could stop them. As far as he was concerned he and Zooey would grow up and grow old together, and as far as he could tell she felt the same way.

He had been upset with Amy for disappearing with Shadow. If she really loved Sonic then she never would have done that. As far as he had been concerned she had taken a pair of scissors to their red thread and attempted to cut her tie to Sonic. Sure Sonic had gone off with Staci but that was because he was heartbroken and Staci had pulled him in while he was weak.

At least, that _was_ what he had thought. Staci had passed through and told Tails a painful truth about Sonic. It was the blue hedgehog that had betrayed the other first and he had done it in such secret that only Sticks, with her skill at spying, had known. Staci hadn't hung around long enough to explain how she had found out, but when a disbelieving Tails had gone to Knuckles, his worst fear had been confirmed. His hero was flawed.

Now Amy was in his house, her poise weary and her face stone. She had called them all together, now she knew what they knew about the woods. Sticks had only told them because they were still so hung up on what Amy had done with Shadow. She said that, now Sonic and Amy had finally come together, it was time for them to accept some truths. At the time she had left out Sonics history with the other girls, but now Staci was on the warpath they needed to be prepared.

"I'm sorry you found out that way Tails. You too Knuckles," Amy sighed, "it can't have been much fun for either of you."

"You aren't the one who should be apologising," Knuckles grumbled, "we should all be saying sorry to you. I could punch myself. But I punched Sonic instead."

"Knuckles is right Amy," Tails chipped in, his voice crackling and quiet, "we should have had more faith in you...and less in him."

Amy shot her head up, "No! Not less in him. Sonic has not gone out there to hurt me. He hasn't gone out of his way to hurt anyone. All he has done is...well he's been Sonic. His feet had flown faster than his brain and by the time it catches up, he's already moved on to something else."

"But I thought you two...I thought you were bound for each other," Tails croaked, unable still to look Amy in the eye.

"It's a bumpy road Tails. But how you feel about Sonic now is why we need to shut that hussy up," Sticks snapped, "the village needs their hero. They know he's an arrogant ass, but they accept that because he saves them so often. If Staci makes a martyr of him they might run him out of here and they are too stupid to realise that leaves them defenceless."

"We will still be here," Knuckles piped up, bumping his fists together and puffing out his chest, "we four are a match for Eggman."

"There are bigger things out there Knuckles," Amy sighed, "even if we are strong, we are stronger with him."

There was a pause. The night had drawn in and they hadn't heard anything from Sonic since he had run away that morning.

"What did you see, out there in the woods?"

Amy turned to Tails and gave him a weak smile, "My fears. Loss, death, betrayal. The little horrors that sit in the recesses of my mind."

"Why would Shadow put you through that if you had got...close?"

"I chose to face it! It was my final challenge. Shadow tried to talk me out of it. I know he has a bad history with us but he isn't the demon you think he is. He has beaten me in the past, and in a way I think teaching me to be stronger is his way of apologising for his misdeeds."

"You were never not in love with Sonic," Sticks added in, stating it as a fact rather than asking for confirmation, "Forest ghosts don't understand love. Like pixies and sprites, they don't understand emotions that complex."

Amy sighed deeply, "I don't know where Sonic has gone, but I'm sure this is just a knee jerk reaction. He'll be back. In the mean time, Staci is our biggest enemy. Now you know what Sonic and I have both done she cannot hurt you guys again. But the village does not need to know. Preserve their faith in him. I am."

* * *

She hadn't lied to them, but doubt was whispering in her ear. Sonic would avoid raw talk about emotions if he could. Just how long he would run for this time it was hard to guess. Their main priority was keeping an eye out for psycho exes.

It was late when her phone rang, but she leapt for it anyway.

"Hello?" she answered, not hiding the hope in her voice.

"Miss Rose? It's Mary."

Amy drooped again, "Oh yes, hello Ms Concepción. How are you?"

"I'm well child. I am sorry it's late, but your friend Sticks informs me you have copulated. Is that right?"

Amy let out a noise of frustration. She couldn't wait until her sex life was no longer a topic for discussion.

"Not that I would choose to use that word but yes. And actually while we are on the subject you..."

"I didn't tell you about the the marking ritual. No I did not. This is why Miss Sticks has asked me to get in touch with you. She feels it's important you know more, but she herself only knows so much. Badger mating is a rough procedure you see, there isn't much romantic in their scars."

Amy settled herself in to her sofa, "Not to question your knowledge of your job, but why _didn't_ you?"

"Goodness child you are not the coy girl I met a matter on months ago are you?"

Amy snorted, "It's been a pretty eventful time for me."

"I see. Well by my calculation you aren't in heat so at least you were able to make a logical decision. As you now know that first season is a very confusing time for your body AND your emotions. Did the one who marked you know why we do it?"

Amy had no patience left to be polite, "So he can cum inside and mark me as his property."

Mary was not phased, "Yes, and no. It is indeed, in it's primal sense, a way to carry on the species. But we have evolved beyond mindless animals Miss Rose. He is tied to you now. That bite marks a bond that he cannot break, at least not very easily. Obviously the intention is to impregnate you, and his basic code commands him to stay to protect you and his young. Until your next season anyway."

Amy considered this for a moment. Biologically it would make sense, and even as shocked as she was she had felt a protectiveness when he had cleaned her wound for her.

"That doesn't explain why you didn't tell me. Why my Mother didn't. Why nobody did."

Mary made a little hmm sound before she spoke, "Not every male is in it for the long haul. If you were expecting it to happen and it didn't, how would you have felt? In your emotional state it would be a devastating blow, and for someone with your fighting skill Miss Rose it had every chance of proving fatal."

Amy laughed at the thought of killing Sonic in the middle of him blowing his beans. She was tempted to kill him where he stood most days, so she could see where Mary was coming from. Her bond with her Mother had never been strong, and she was even less inclined to believe her parents were ever passionately in love. But she had been born, so at some point they must have been. Or at the very least her Father had stuck with her Mother to help raise Amy. She had sworn years ago she would never guilt anyone in to loving her.

"What if he wants to bite, but doesn't?"

"I don't get asked that very often. Anything I tell you will be speculation because I have never heard of it occurring myself. I think it depends on the male. It could be he instinctively is unsure of the quality of his D.N.A. It could be he feels a bond but is unsure how his partner feels and does not want to pressure her in to uniting for a longer term. It is hard to say."

Amy barreled on, "One more question Mary, please."

"Yes of course."

"If it's rare in other species, does that mean he wouldn't mark anyone but another hedgehog?"

"Oh no. It might be a trifle awkward but instinct is instinct. As I said I'm not here for dating advise, but that mark is in essence a 'love bite'. A male hedgehog can love a female of another species, or a male of his own and never mark them. But that bite cements the two of them. You have a curious mind about this."

Amy closed her eye, "That's what an eventful month will do to you."

She mumbled through a goodbye, before clicking off the phone and collapsing backwards on to her sofa. She had asked so many questions but not one had soothed her. As a matter of fact, they had made her worse. On the surface, if Mary were to be believed, Sonic was fighting his baser instinct by running away from her whereas Shadow didn't dare believe he was good enough for her. It was deeper and more complicated than that, true, but she was already growing tired of fighting her own emotions. The woods would be sat there, waiting for her, for the rest of her days.

* * *

Her communicator jolted her from a fitful sleep. The early morning sun screamed in to her eyes and she threw a cushion over her face before she answered.

"What," she hissed.

"Eggman is here, at the beach," came Tails panic stricken voice.

"Can't you take this one yourselves? I need a lie in."

"Staci is helping him."

She ran so fast she hardly touched the ground. She made it to the beach in the blink of an eye, and sure enough stood next to the Eggmobile, balanced on a crude hoverboard, was a very smug looking Staci. As they locked eyes both girls gave each other a silent snarl, teeth bared and claws flashing. They were lionesses staring each other down over the rights to a carcass, only here the carcass was Sonic and his dead ass was nowhere in sight.

"Ah Amy Rose, how nice of you to drop in on us. Have you met my new mechanic?"

The pink hedgehog snapped her fingers and called forth her piko hammer, "You know I have you oaf. How the hell did this happen? Bored of guys your own age Stace?"

"Oh ya'll can go suck a..."

"I already have bitch!"

"I believe I was asked a question!" Eggman snapped, ignoring the danger he was putting himself in.

While Amy and Staci didn't even break their staring match to blink, the Doctor carried in regardless, "Well when I heard someone had broken in to my lair I assumed it would be one of you lot, but I found Miss Staci here in the middle of stealing my Ballot Stuffing Bot. She said she was going to modify it in to a Letterbox Stuffing Bot. I asked her to prove it, and she did! Funny, I never associated her wearing a tool belt with fixing things. Why Starfox there wears goggles all the time and for what?"

Tails folded his arms, "Because I use dangerous machinery and I fly a plane."

Eggman didn't even turn to him, "Look at her sick ride! She flew it over the ocean to get to me."

"That is a pretty sweet ride. Wish I had a hoverboard," Knuckled pouted.

Amy balanced her hammer on her shoulder, "So she broke in to your fort, stole and modified your creation without permission, but because you're impressed it works that's okay? Or did she take her top off for you because that's an old party trick of hers too."

"Up yours B cup. The Doc here knows a true talent when he sees it. In fact my baby is doing it's job right now. It's delivering a very important letter through each and every door in the village," Staci snarled, glaring down at her.

Amy scratched her ear nonchalantly, "Well not everyone has a letter box Staci. Not everyone has a door even."

The bandicoot growled, "Under the door, through a doorway, it'll do that too."

She looked at Knuckles and Tails who merely shrugged at her. They still looked a little bewildered at the situation. Secretly Amy was too, but Perci had told her to be prepared. This was a little out of what they had expected, but Staci was adept at getting men to fall at her feet. Even middle aged, human men.

"I'm not interested in what's under that tank top, even if it is softer than Orbot and Cubot. Since I can't persuade that two tailed fox to work for me, I was delighted to find a very skilled mechanic who was willing to give me a helping hand," Eggman smiled triumphantly.

"Yea she'll do that," Amy sighed under her breath, "Egghead you do know who this girl is?"

"I'm not that stupid! She told me all about her break up with Sonic. Now he's dumped both of you he deserves to be humiliated! I would have thought you'd be happy."

Amy laughed. It wasn't because she was happy.

"See, I'm not the biggest idiot in the village," Knuckles beamed.

"And that's one of my prototype boards," Tails interjected, "It might look sturdy and safe, but it couldn't sustain it's power for very long. In fact I would say..."

With an almighty squeal Staci plummeted to the ground. Luckily, or sadly, they were not very far from the ground and she landed with a fairly soft thud in to the soft sand. She screamed again and beat her fists in to the board. Then she froze, and smiled.

"All I wanted was that robot, and I got it, it'll be finished by now and both you and that prick will never live it down," she laughed, throwing her arms in to the air and falling flat on to her back.

"Heh, prick, cause he's a hedgehog."

"Not now Knuckles. Actually Staci, you may be celebrating early."

The bandicoot sat upright and flicked her lilac ponytail around her head, "That so?"

It started off quiet and distant, but soon the battle cries of one very spirited badger tore through the scene. In Sticks rode, atop the aforementioned robot, with her metal mace in her hand. As she kicked off the bot, she performed a clean flip, and smashed her mace in to the back of the machine. Upon impact it blew in to pieces, scattering dozens of envelopes in it's wake.

"I can sniff new machinery a mile off," Sticks grumbled, "especially when it reeks of your nasty perfume. I'm only thankful I don't have to smell it on..."

"Oh come on, don't tell me I missed another fight?"

Amy whirled around, and there he stood as if he had never been away. With Eggman and Staci still present she fought down all desire to run over to him. To kiss him or kill him she wasn't sure. Taking control of the relief in her voice, she smiled at him.

"Not quite. Are you up for a spot of croquet?"

He caught her eye quickly before starting his spin dash. Now a speeding ball of death, she ran up behind Sonic and whacked him straight in to the Eggmobile. The Doctor and his machine were sent flying, nothing but a string of curses left in his wake. As battles went it was weak, but the focus hadn't been on him this time.

Amy walked over to Staci. She grabbed the bandicoot between the shoulders and hoisted her to her feet, not an easy task when Amy was shorter than her. When Staci merely shrugged her off, Amy confirmed one thing. Sonic had not marked her. Staci seemed to weigh up her options and decided running away was the best choice. The thought of chasing after her and making bandicoot mincemeat out of her was appealing, but Amy had more pressing matters. The whole team, Sonic included, were reading the letters that had nearly found their way to the villagers. Their expressions told her all she needed to know.

"That bad?"

They all turned to her, but it was Sonic that spoke first, "Oh yea, she still can't spell for shit. Her grammar is all over the place and has she even heard of sentencing structure?"

"Now I don't even know what that word means but I'm pretty sure Sonic doesn't have it," Knuckles said, turning his head and the paper this way and that. Tails had already thrown his copy on the floor and was covering his eyes. Sticks was in the middle of eating hers.

Amy didn't want to know the contents but she did want them gone. Trying to ignore her proximity to Sonic she started to pick up all the envelopes strewn about in the sand. Staci did seem to be baying for Sonics blood, and even if it should have been a relief to Amy, she was bonded to Blue now and his problems were hers.

"Hey Amy," Knuckles called, "did you know that your back was bleeding?"


	17. Resolutions, not Solutions

_Hello to all my lovely readers! How are you? Me, I'm tired. In my time with family over Christmas I was writing the remainder of this fic in my head, so when I got home last night I started typing. After a few hours and some sleep, here we are! I'm hoping knocking this out quickly isn't a bad thing, it just seemed to pour out of me once I started._

 _This is another chatty chapter, but the next will be more action based. I don't want to say too much, but so far Staci is your standard 2-D bunny boiler. She is not going to remain this way. For me she deserves fleshing out as she has played such a big part in this story. This chapter tries to get Sonic and Amy in the right place._

 _Side note: regarding the joke at the bottom, prawn aka shrimp._

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega._

* * *

She had him pinned to the sofa. She had practically thrown him down before clambering on top and straddling him. When her hands had grabbed his face so roughly he wasn't sure if he was going to live to see the next day, but instead she had kissed him. She kissed him with such ferocity and passion that for a wonderful moment they had both climbed to a higher plain of existence. She tasted so sweet, he was enraptured, and his hands circled her strong waist while her delicate fingers tangled themselves so carefully in to his spines. He wanted every last inch of her, but in his lusty haze he had forgotten to break in to the speech he had so carefully prepared.

Trying to pull away from her stern grip wasn't easy. He barely managed to utter her name between kisses. Each time he released his lips she was on them again, greedily capturing his tongue before he could say a word. It was becoming too aggressive, as if a panic had taken over her, and with painful trepidation he took hold of her shoulders and physically peeled her away from him.

"Ames," he gasped, trying to regain his breath, "not that this isn't great, but give me a minute."

Her chest heaved as her arms raised in a defensive motion. She looked hurt, and angry, but he did not let go. Behind her frown he could see a frightened young woman.

"A minute," she sighed, "is a long time when you can disappear in less than ten seconds."

"Is that was this is about? You're trying to pin me down?" he replied with a nervous laughter, but when she tried to fight out of his grip he realised this wasn't the time for jokes. He always tried to get a laugh out of others when he knew he shouldn't.

"Well look what happens when I don't! Where have you been? I've been worried sick! Knuckles thought he had lost his friendship with you forever. Do you even think about these things or do you just..."

"Woah Mr Hyde, can we have Dr Jekyll back? I think I want affectionate Amy to return."

She looked away, "Yea, that Amy knows that's what keeps you keen."

His hands released her, and she clambered off him, seating herself next to him instead. He felt a knife cut across his heart, cold and sharp. He deserved that, in fact he deserved so much more, and what he was about to tell her was only going to lead to more upset. Facing feelings, talking talks, he had such trouble with things that were second nature to her. But if he was going to go through this for anyone it would be her, even at the risk of losing everything.

"Where were you?" she asked again, softly this time.

He swallowed hard, "I went to the city."

The air around her seemed to go cold, and in his peripheral vision he saw her hands dig in to the cushions. He waited for her to say something, but when nothing but silence followed he continued.

"I er, I went to go see the girls. The girls I..."

"I know what girls, Sonic," she spat, "I have their names etched in to my memory forever."

He tried to flatten his ears so the sound of distress in her voice. He wanted to reach out to her but her body had shrunk even further away from him. This wasn't going well.

"Look, okay...see the thing is...I don't know where to start...thing is..."

"You prefer to be with them," she gasped, raising to her feet, "you marked me, you bonded yourself to me and it's freaked you out. You don't want love, you just want to come and go as you please."

He jumped up and grabbed hold of her, wrapping his arms around her as she shook. He felt her resist at first but she fell limp in his arms, the tiniest of sobs escaping her throat. In the corner of his eye, for the first time in years, he felt a tear begin to form.

"It killed me leaving you. Don't you ever, ever think otherwise. When you disappeared I reacted the only way I knew how...the wrong way. I was so...so scared that you had gone for good. That Shadow was your choice. That life without this village...without me...was what you wanted."

Her arms were pressed against his chest. He felt her grip at his scarf as she let out a whoosh of air. Calming herself down, he guessed.

"I marked you because I don't want to lose you. The reason I left," he sighed, trying carefully to express himself correctly for once, "was to try and fix my mistakes. Knuckles knocked some sense in to me. Not literally of course, if anything he knocked it out..."

"Sonic," Amy snapped, raising her face to look at him. She looked so vulnerable but the tension growing in her arms showed her strength fighting back. She was so amazing.

"I went to see how each girl was doing. I guess I went to make sure they were okay. Just because I'm a complete ass, doesn't mean they deserved it. I thought...I dunno...if I made amends with them that you could all see...I'm trying."

Amy leaned her head against his arm, "They all miss you terribly?"

There was jealousy in her tone, but he was grateful for it now.

"No. They didn't miss me. They didn't hate me. Elise didn't even remember me."

"Did you want them to miss you?"

"No. Well...no, no I didn't want them to _miss_ me. But...I've not been nothing before. It was good, to know nobody was hurt back there. It's here I messed up. I never noticed...but but I should have! I never noticed how wonderful it was knowing I was never nothing to you."

There was nothing left in him. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips to her forehead, not letting her go but not stopping her from getting away if she wanted to. He breathed in her scent, the delicate peach of her shampoo mixed with an earthy, wooden scent of someone who spent their life surrounded by nature. All at once unearthly and yet grounded. They stood like that for what seemed like an eternity, a limbo between their ending or their forever.

Slowly, so slow he wasn't at all sure it was happening, her hands traced their way around his torso, finally coming to rest on his back.

"I don't think, in all the years I have known you, I have ever heard you say you were scared and actually sound like you meant it."

He let out a quick breath of laughter, "Even Sonics get scared sometimes."

She took a step back to look and her eyes fell on his. They were still glistening with tears but she held them at bay. The smallest of smiles played across her lips and he felt he knew her well enough to know if it was genuine. He could have cried with relief himself.

"I faced my fears Sonic. I was not about to lose you after what I went though, and I refuse to give up on that now. I love you Blue, I'm always going to love you just as I always have, but if you run again..."

"No! No no no no no nooooo I am not going anywhere."

"Even if Staci tries to make our lives miserable?"

"She can try."

"Even if the village doesn't approve?"

"I don't need their approval."

"Even if Sally runs all the way here from the city to declare her undying lo..."

"I love you Amy Rose."

Her mouth hung open, the last of her words remaining stuck in her throat. He hadn't said it to surprise her, he hadn't said it keep her quiet. The reason he chose that moment to say those three, heavy words was because she was in the middle of being so very Amy. He walked over to her and closed her open jaw with one finger, planting a delicate peck on her little petal lips. He had meant what he said, the night he made her his. He would spend forever making it up to her.

* * *

Staci did continue to try and make their lives miserable of course. The villages approval would have to wait a while, as while the bandicoot was making life difficult Amy swore by what she had said. Sonic would not be made a martyr of. The villagers were fickle creatures and there was no telling what they would think of Sonic if word got out of both what he and Amy had done. There was a heavy chance they wouldn't forgive him for forgiving her.

There had been a few days of serenity. Staci went about her day as normal, Eggman didn't attack, and their friends acted as if nothing had happened. They too spent their days as if nothing had changed between them, saving their affections and desires for the nights, when they would bury themselves in each other. Sonics mark would remain for a while, so he was able to indulge looking at her face twist and turn in pleasure. He was stupid to think anything would compare to making the woman he loved buckle to his whim, to giving himself to the moment so completely.

It was then the whispers started. As Amy was buying groceries she could hear Lady Goat and Belinda talking in hushed tones behind her. When she turned to wave at them, they fell silent and looked away. At Meh Burger, Dave was smiling wide at her, which sent a chill down her spine. The rabbit girl took a less than subtle photo of her with her phone and immediately started typing.

She didn't tell her friends, but after a few days they were hit with the variety and depth of the rumours. They didn't just overhear the stories, they were actually questioned about them, the villagers only staying polite enough to do so out of Amy's ear shot.

Assuming Tails would be the weak link, they went after him first, cornering him in his workshop or while he was working on his plane.

"Tails, darling," came a female voice, "Gunther just passed on a dirty little rumour he heard. Is it true that Amy likes to be flogged?"

Tails dropped his wrench on his toe, spinning round to face Diane, "What?!"

"Oh I don't like to indulge in gossip, only..."

"Then don't."

This time when Tails turned to the new voice, he did it too sharply and landed in a heap. Zooey walked over to him and offered her hand which he took while blushing.

"Zooey sweetie I'm just trying to find out the truth," Diane replied, batting her eyelids innocently. Zooey was having none of it. In her sweetest, most polite manner she told Diane to leave Tails alone and to stop taking part in such horrid gossip. The aardvark merely shrugged in reply and left.

"Thanks Zooey, she kinda caught me off guard there."

She smiled and kept a soft hold of his hand, "She was trying to be mean about Miss Amy. I won't have my friends talked about like that."

Tails looked at her dreamily, "You're amazing to know that Diane and Gunther were doing that."

Zooey's smile dropped a little, "Oh, Tails, it isn't just them. The whole village is at it."

* * *

Thanks mostly to Belinda's need for a juicy story or two, it was Charlie who chased down Knuckles. Much as he hated the echidna, he also knew he could confuse him in to giving him what he wanted. He usually wasn't one for gossip but Knuckles and his friends had made his life a misery more than once. Even if Amy was a fellow archaeologist, his villainy would come first.

"There he is! The big man on campus!"

"No we're on a beach. Might want to get those glasses checked, old Dad who betrayed me."

Charlie halted as he watched Knuckles lift his own body weight with ease. Luckily what remained of Knuckles brain cells were even more useless when he was pumping iron. Flattery was his Achilles heel.

"Oh I'll get right on that! Erm...very clever of you to notice. You must notice a lot, being a nomad. Spend a lot of time wandering around, seeing sights, hearing things."

Knuckles brought one hand to itch his chin thoughtfully, still holding the weight set above his head with one arm. Charlie gulped nervously.

"Well I suppose I do hear things. But not a lot make sense to me so it's in one ear and in one ear."

"Out one ear."

"No I hear with both my ears. Sound goes in."

Charlie shook his head with frustration but held his temper in place. He needed to get that gossip or Belinda would be mad, and she was the scariest creature around.

"But you also see your friends a lot too. They must trust you with a lot of information. I mean, you're practically their leader aren't you? Being the strongest and all."

Knuckles dropped the weights casually to his feet and stuck out his chest, "Strongest by far. They all need me."

Charlie nodded approvingly, "So I suppose you know where Amy Rose disappeared to?"

"Of course I do. I'm her big brother. Well...not really...but she's always yelling at me so she's like my sister."

"Well as a big brother you must have been concerned that she was helping Shadow kidnap other girls to keep in his torture dungeon."

"I was concerned she was with Shadow but...wait, what?"

Charlie was practically drooling with anticipation, "Luring them in with promises of friendship, only to turn them over to Shadow, in return for sexual favours."

Knuckles looked bewildered, "I don't know what you're..."

"That's why she's come back isn't it? He's upped the ante and now he wants to get to Sonic and the only way is to get Amy to persuade him to join her?"

There was a high pitched wail, and charging towards them with her staff held high came Sticks. With a calculated swipe she knocked Charlie's glasses clean off his face, barely gleaning his nose. Without his mech suit he was no fighter, and Sticks had no off button, so he grabbed his fallen eyewear and bailed.

"Bye bad Dad," Knuckles called after him.

"You idiot," Sticks snapped, "what did you tell him?"

"I didn't tell him anything! He was telling me about Amy kidnapping Sonic. Did you know she was doing that? Is that why he's at her place every night?"

Sticks slapped a hand to her forehead, "That was gossip. The village is rife with it. Mike the Ox just asked me if Amy is really in to...you know what...nevermind. It's safer not saying these things out loud, never know if your technology is bugged."

He looked over at his gym equipment, "There are no bugs on my gear. If there were I'd charge them to pump iron just as I do everyone else."

She jumped up on his shoulders, and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Listen up Knuckle head, whatever you hear about Amy is gossip and rumour. It's spreading like wildfire and it's not going to help matters if you can't remember what the truth is."

"You mean, they're trying to hurt her?"

"No, they're too stupid for that. Staci is trying to hurt her, everyone else is just a pawn."

"Oh I like them in a cocktail."

"Pawn! Not...uuugh forget it. If anyone says anything to you about Amy, you tell them they're wrong. You got that, bub?"

He reached up and patted her head, "Remember when you attacked Sonic cause you thought he slept with Amy? You were as angry as you are now, except now you're angry because you're happy they have."

She slumped down and rested herself in a piggy back position on his back. In a small act of self defeat, she clung her arms around his neck a little tighter. For once it was not to strangle him. She needed her own little moment of reassurance, a hope that everything would be okay. Amy really did still care what the village thought of her, and there was no way these Chinese whispers would not work their way back. There was only so much Sticks could do, only so many truths she could threaten to uncover. Staci had the upper hand. At this rate, Amy might run again, even with Sonic subtly holding her down every night.

In the end, two unlikely sources saved the day, and more than one heart was rescued.


	18. Crash Goes the Bandicoot

_Recently I have been writing fanfics (that I can't post on this site) that had taken up my time as I had a bit of a block on this fic. I came back home after being away over Christmas and two chapters just poured out of me, and nearly 7000 words later here we are!_

 _So this is really putting us in to the final arc. The first paragraph is a teaser for what is to come, because I don't want you to think by the end of this chapter I failed on my promise to give Staci her tale. This chapter sets things in motion, with the next chapter much more action packed. Please, if you think I'm neglecting a character or representing them badly, at least wait until this story is though to let me show you where I'm going._

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega._

* * *

 ** _Flash Forward_**

Staci stood silently in the doorway, looking at them in the pitiful light the moon offered up. Sonic, his ankle still in a cast, was sat by the bed, his head resting near her arm. He was dead to the world, no doubt he hadn't slept for several hours. Amy lay in the bed, hooked up to a drip and looking as pale as the moonlight. Her eyes fluttered but they did not open, and Staci was able to stand and stare at leisure. The room was stifling, both in heat and the palpable emotion in the air as she spied their sleeping fingers intertwined. She let out a sigh.

She had tried to tell herself the situation hadn't been that bad, that there was no way Amy could really have died. With all the running Sonic did it was only a matter of time before he snapped something. You can break a bone falling over. As for the state of the village, they had only themselves to blame for their lack of preparation.

Seeing them however, had confirmed what she tried to deny. She had gone too far this time. She had blood on her hands, and a small green monster was chewing away angrily at her insides. Guilt, so much guilt.

If she could rewrite the last six months of her life, she would blank the page and not even start over.

* * *

 ** _Present Time_**

Shadow strolled in to the centre of Hedgehog Village. He could hear the goings on of the creatures around him slowly fall silent as they all began to notice he was there. They didn't run, which was a small mark up on previous encounters, but the faces of those who did stick their heads out were nervous or scornful. If they knew even an ounce of how angry he was, they would have fled. But to act upon it was the old him, and he already had a plan in place.

He kept his eyes peeled for her. As word began to spread of his presence, she arrived soon enough. As their eyes locked on to each other she gave him a flirty wink, but he was less than impressed. His face stayed expressionless as the whispers around him grew louder and the crowd grew more confident. He needed as many of them there as possible, and even better now he was staring her down.

"Shadow, what are you doing here?"

Shadow flicked an ear backwards but he did not turn around. He would know the voice of that blue faker anywhere. His appearance was neither here nor there, but at least if he were to witness events they wouldn't need explaining later. He would prefer not to have to talk to him one on one if he could help it.

"It's time to get some matters out in the open," he replied quietly, but before he'd finished his last word, Sonic was stood nose to nose with him.

"Is this really the time or the place?" the blue blur asked him through gritted teeth. His green eyes flashed with silent rage, but Shadow could not be drawn in to a fight.

"Where's Bud?"

"...Bud?"

"Amy."

Sonics face twisted between rage and confusion, "That's...what you call her?"

Shadow didn't reply, but gave a small raise of his eyebrows expectantly. Sonics eyes darted between staring intently at him and clocked the amount of villagers forming a circle around them. They were all sporting for a fight but Sonic too knew it was not the right thing to do.

"She's picking flowers with Sticks near the volcano. We've been trying to keep her out of the village. You are _not helping matters_."

Shadow crossed his arms, and looked over Sonics shoulder at the lilac demon who was causing his Bud such pain.

"Actually, I'm here to put an end to this," he said under his breath, before calling out at the top of his lungs, "Eggman, get out here!"

They all looked to the sky, but Eggman walked out of the woods, without any of his robots in tow. His face was set in a stony expression, and his arms marched stiffly by his side. Sonic poised himself for a fight, and his team mates were swiftly by his side. They weren't needed. Not any of them.

"Ah, Shadow and Staci, thank you for meeting me here."

The villagers turned their gaze on the bandicoot in unison. She looked around all of them before stepping forward to protest her innocence.

"I had no plan to meet you here!" she squeaked.

"Well you're here anyway. It's time to admit our plans have failed, that's why I needed you both here. Time to come clean."

Shadow was enjoying watching the female squirm uncomfortably. She was about to learn how fickle a crowd could be.

"Sonic, perhaps we should explain to you first," the Doctor started up, "after all, it was you we were trying to...emotionally destroy."

Shadow rolled his eyes. The man was useless. He was making this sound far too mechanical.

"You were...what?" Sonic asked, his head turning back and forth to try and gauge what was going on. Perhaps they should have let him in on this after all.

"Kidnapping Miss Rose was a bit of a low blow, but we knew it would hit you right where it hurts. Of course having Shadow here take her away really added to the effect. An extra kick in the teeth if you will."

"Egghead what are you...?"

"Quiet Nibbles, adults are talking. By all accounts Miss Rose put up quite a fight, but we made sure she knew that any plans to escape would end in the annihilation of this entire village."

"She was a nightmare," Shadow chimed in, "I couldn't stand to guard her any longer. Which was when we changed plans and brought in Miss Bandicoot here."

"Like hell did I have anythi..."

"If Amy was going to be let go, we would have to work with what we had. So Miss Staci here started the rumours that Amy had been...intimate with Shadow here. Of course she may have gone a little too far. But as it turns out the only person who didn't believe them was the one person we wanted to. Sonic."

Shadow saw the penny finally drop in Sonics eyes. The blue faker nodded his head and replied, "It's all making sense now."

Eggman started up again, "We have come to tell you that all gossip about Miss Rose is false. That she has not defended herself to protect all of you. But if I hear any of you spreading these false stories, you can answer to Shadow there personally. I think he's rather upset she's been so hurt by this."

Shadow let out a low growl as a warning for the Doctor to quit going down that route while he was ahead.

"Staci, how could you?" Knuckles cried.

"I didn't!" she squealed.

"It was you that started these rumours though," Tails added, "it was you right from the start."

"They aren't rumours, she really did mate with Shadow before she stole Sonic from me!"

"I think I would have remembered such an event," Shadow sighed, "Your contract with us ends. But I assume we can call on you in the future?"

"Well _you_ can call me anytime..."

Shadow smiled at her words. Not because he had any intention of ever taking up her offer, but because she had just sealed her own fate. The villagers began to circle around her, screaming words like "traitor" and "liar" amongst the more colourful names. Backed in to a corner the spiteful sneer that seemed painted on her face failed, and panic replaced it. He had no remorse, and with his work done he began to walk away, nodding once to the Doctor as he too made an exit.

Just at the line of the trees as he was about to teleport away, Sonic caught up to him.

"Wait, Shadow, I need to clear a few things up!"

The black hedgehog rolled his eyes, "Make it quick, don't want to spoil things by them seeing us talking."

"They're too busy giving Staci hell. Was any of that true?"

"Do you care what happens to her?"

"I mean...you and Amy..."

He turned away again, "Whatever Bud has told you is all you need to know."

Sonic quickly whipped back in to his view, "Okay fine. Was this your idea? How did you know about these rumours?"

Shadow wouldn't look him in the eye, "I keep an eye on things here, but it was the Doctor who decided we should step in. Not like you were coming up with anything."

Sonic stabbed a finger towards him, "That was not _my_ choice. Amy didn't want me to get involved. You think it was easy sitting back and watching that darkness spread? I can't believe what they thought my girl was capable of."

"You have too much faith in them, and they have too much in you. This was for Bud. Assuming your friends are the only ones who know the truth, this is over. I'm leaving."

It was then he saw the pink of her fur in the corner of his eye. Amy walked towards the clearing, halting as her eyes fell on the pair of them. He had forgotten what it was like looking in to those wide, jade eyes. There was a brief twinge in his heart, a longing he hadn't felt since the day she left. Before she could get any closer he teleported out of their reach.

That faker could take it from there.

* * *

"Amy Rose, as Mayor of Hedgehog Village it is my job to be the voice of the people. I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say...they're very sorry for believing those lies."

"Oh...thank-you," she muttered, still in a daze. Sonic had quickly filled her and Sticks in on events, and they rejoined the village as Staci was running away in tears. Even as she was out of sight they still spat obscenities and accusations, and in the deepest recesses of her heart Amy felt a pang of sympathy for Staci. She had been vile, she had been spiteful, she had been vengeful but she had not conspired against her people. There would be no going back now however, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles had involved themselves in the lie too and to uncover them would destroy the hero image she had fought to preserve.

She wasn't prepared to see Shadow, let alone stood face to face with Sonic. He really was a black mirror image of her Blue. She hoped he would have been happy to see her, but once he had seen her he vanished quickly. Swept up in the confusion of the moment she had barely let Sonics words sink in.

She had been absolved of her actions, both the real and the lies. Her time with Shadow was now nothing more than a lie to anyone but herself and her friends. She had such conflicting feelings about it. On the one hand she didn't feel she had to keep the truth a secret, but on the other hand they would never understand what that time meant to her. None of them would.

What it did mean was that she and Sonic were free to be a couple in public. She could walk through the village square holding his hand or paint him a picture and not have to lie to anyone about who her muse was. Once the Staci storm had died down she would suggest to Sonic they go on a date, out in the open, in full view of everyone. He would hesitate of course, he was still embarrassed by public displays of affection. It was silly, of everything he faced he still blushed at a kiss on the cheek when witnessed by others.

* * *

Sonic wasn't sure how he ended up in Mombots hut, but here he was drinking down tea and munching on dainty cakes. Eggman sat opposite, beaming at his Mombot proudly. She did always want he and Sonic to be friends, and though this quiet time would be brief it was apparently still a delightful thing to his Mother.

"I don't know how to say this Egghead, but thhh...thhhhhaaa...thhhhhoh you know where I'm going with this."

"Apart from getting spit all over the frosting, yes I do. But I didn't do it for you, hedgehog."

Sonic nodded, "Right, you were looking out for Amy."

"I was looking out for me! I wasn't lying when I said she was your weakness. If she was run out of town, either you would have loyally followed or you would have fallen in to a pit of despair. If I couldn't pull you out of that, who would I have fought with? Starfox, Muggles and Twigs? Not bloody likely."

"So you aren't at all happy she's happy?"

Eggman shooed off the suggestion with a wave of his hand, "That's your department. But you better keep her happy. I think you know what will happen if you hurt her again."

Sonic gave him a dirty look, "I'm not threatened by Shadow. Amy and I were solid from the day we met, it's just a little different now."

"Oh I knew the two of you were right for each other," Mombot chimed in, "such a cute pair. I know my boy is looking forward to being an Uncle to all your adorable little babies."

Both men spat out their tea simultaneously.

"Mombot don't be gross! The last thing I want is any more of his kind running round."

"We are years away from that Mombot," Sonic coughed, his hand still shaking.

"Good!" Eggman snapped, "but...if it ever does happen...I could babysit right? I could be Unckee Eggee."

* * *

Staci was with Perci. Much to Amy's surprise she was relieved to hear that Staci was in a safe place. She wouldn't have wished a banishment on her, but the village had rallied against the bandicoot. When Amy took the call from Perci she could hear the disappointment in her friends tone and it burned within her.

"She'll be fine here. I get so many invites from the boys to go gallivanting about at night I can't keep up. Staci is distracting them so I can get on with my studies. Oh that girl, ya'll wouldn't have the foggiest she's been run outta town."

Amy frowned slightly, receiver held tightly to her ear. Sonic was behind her, distracted by the TV, but his hearing was impeccable when he thought it needed to be.

"I didn't plan on this Perci, I promise."

"Sugar beet I know that! Gosh Almighty it is about time she learned her lesson. Honestly I don't know how she keeps on top of all the boys she's seeing. And I mean that both figuratively and literally. Dash her hide, she considers it a loss that she didn't chase after that Shadow boy."

"But...his lie is the reason she had to leave here."

"But he's also got a butt that won't quit. Anyway sugar beet, this is time you should be spending climbing that blue hog like a cypress tree. My sister is going to thrive here, heck knows she might even start learning a thing or two. My room mate isn't too impressed but she's promised to keep hush, and the boys don't care it isn't me if she _looks_ like me."

Amy didn't think that could at all be true. From what she had deciphered in conversations with Perci, Staci had to fight to keep a guys attention. They were identical twins, but Perci was bright and capable of long conversations. So when her looks alone didn't work, Staci became...well, Staci. She knew she didn't have the same as her sister to offer, so she gave what she could, her physical services. She would never climb as high as Perci on her own merit so she was looking for someone else to carry her up.

Amy felt guilt knot in her stomach. She bid a polite goodbye to Perci and replaced the receiver, before doubling over. Sonic helped her to the sofa and rubbed her back carefully.

"Ames what's wrong? If it was that chili dog I swear they tasted fine to me."

"It's Staci," Amy groaned.

"What the hell has she done now? She's miles and miles away! That psycho bitch..."

"No, I didn't mean that," she sighed as she tried to sit upright, "I mean, what if I spent too much time jealous of her? Suspicious of her? What if...somebody had actually tried to understand her?"

Sonic placed a hand on her cheek and she leaned in to it, soaking up his warmth.

"Ames you can't blame yourself. She made the bed she lays in."

She gave him a pained look, "Did you two ever just...talk?"

He looked quizzically at her, "Do you really want to hear this?"

She thought about it for a second, knowing it would be hard to hear, but she nodded all the same.

"The longest conversation I got out of her were lectures about how I could profit off being heroic. There were no Sunday mornings lying in bed, watching the day pass by. We just...well we got what we wanted, and what she wanted was a shot at glory. I suppose I could have tried harder but we didn't spend much time together outside of...well...you know."

Amy chewed the inside of her lip. That was the Staci of now, but she was sure it wasn't always fated to be that way. But as her stomach twisted further she knew it was not up to her to fix. Perhaps Perci was right and that the University atmosphere would be could for Staci. Even if she wasn't there to study, she was surrounded by the brightest and the loneliest young people around. One of them was bound to love her for more than just sex, if Staci could ever see beyond her chance at power. In fact she could have made a solid friendship with Eggman or Tails, had she not been so hell bent on destruction.

Shadow on the other hand, there was no way he would have let her catch him. In fact it was hard for Amy to picture him with anyone else. Simply because he was so antisocial, not because any part of her was jealous of the idea of him with anyone else.

Right?

* * *

The summer months flew by with ease. There was no official announcement about Sonic and Amy's relationship status, but once the Rabbit Girl had spied them on a date and put a message about it on FriendSpace, the whole world and his dog knew. There was the a very short flurry of questions and Eggman snooping as usual, but when it became clear that nothing much had changed between the two hedgehogs, they got bored.

Then Amy's second season in heat came around. With her physical needs satisfied this time, it was her mind and emotions that went in to overdrive. She was even more temperamental than usual and could cry at the drop of a hat. She would gush over any babies in the village and had taken to knitting clothes for Bea. Sonic enjoyed some of it, unnerved by the rest. It was her nightmares that haunted him.

She was crying out in her sleep. Sometimes it was just cries of fear or sadness, but other times she would call names. His, their friends, "the baby", and even more painful, she would call for Shadow. Sometimes he let her sleep, wrapping his arms around her tight so she couldn't lash out and hurt herself. There were other nights he couldn't take listening to her cries of anguish and he would wake her up, letting her sob in to his fur until she became drowsy again. She would wake up and barely remember the event at all. Or at least that's what she said, but he had his doubts. He could only recall her talking about 'the baby' once and that was the times she reluctantly opened up about the woods.

The night he caught her out of bed, sleepwalking right out the front door, he had had enough. He demanded she tell him everything about that day.

"Sonic, this is just my hormones playing up. I'll be fine in another week or so."

"Fine? Fine...Amy you were up and about while sleeping. Who knows what would have happened if I wasn't here. Or if I hadn't woken up."

"What do you think I'll do? Where would I go?"

Sonic lowered his eyes, "That you'll go back to the woods. To...him."

She groaned, "Sonic, I've not seen Shadow in months. I'm happy with you! As for those woods...you just don't understand. And don't ask me to explain them any more. I just want to move on."

He nodded, kissed her forehead, and put her back to bed. When she awoke the following morning, he was gone.


	19. Dark Woods, Dark Sonic

_Sonic et al belong to Sega_

* * *

Shadow skidded to a halt. He could usually pass through the village without any disturbance, but stood in his path was the Blue Faker.

"A little late for you to be up, isn't it?"

"Well I'd say the same, but this isn't the first time you've passed by Amy's hut in the middle of the night, is it?"

Shadow was both impressed and annoyed he'd been spotted, "Isn't that where you should be now? Those nightmares of hers are getting worse."

Sonic flushed red, "I knew you were close by. Taking notes?"

Shadow rolled his eyes, "I have no interest in your nightly intimacy."

"So those pheromones she's kicking out are having no effect?"

Shadow growled, so low it was barely audible to Sonic. He was no stranger to the village, even if he did it in secret, but he had desired to come by more than usual. It was basic genetics, nothing more.

"What do you want Faker?"

Sonic crossed his arms and kicked away at the dirt by his feet, "There's a talk you and I need to have. I've been putting it off for way too long."

* * *

Sticks was performing her morning check of all her traps when a melancholy Amy approached her burrow.

"Don't touch that leaf!" she cried at the pink hedgehog.

Amy jumped backward, "Is it booby trapped?"

Sticks scoffed, "I can't place a trap in a leaf. I just think it's pretty."

Amy scowled at her. As Sticks walked up to her she could see her friend was looking especially tired this morning. Her quills weren't as tidy as she usually kept them and there were visible shadows under her eyes.

"You know, you could look less smug about it."

Amy tilted her head, "About what?"

Sticks smirked, "Heavy night of good lovin' was it? Hope you're taking precautions while you're in heat."

"No Sticks, that's..."

"You aren't? Look he'll bite ya again once he isn't gonna risk knocking you up if that's what you're worried ab..."

"Sticks! It was just a restless night, that's all. Sonic must have bailed on me. He doesn't cope well without his twelve hours. I checked his place but he isn't there. Guessing he's crashed at Tails house again."

Sticks rested a hand on her shoulder, "The wood nightmare again?"

Amy nodded, "I think so. I don't remember most of them, but Sonic tells me I'm talking about them in my sleep."

"Have you thought about talking about them while you're awake?"

Amy snorted, "Not you too. Sticks I am happy to drag you in to hell with me, but it's not something Sonic needs to hear. I've told him all he needs to know."

"What about Shadow? Have you cleared the air about how you bumped uglies with him?"

Amy stared straight ahead.

"Maybe this is your subconscious trying to get you to open up a bit. If you and Blue are looking at forever you're going to have to bring up those inner demons. Unless you are actually possessed, want me to perform an exorcism to check?"

* * *

Amy didn't find Sonic with Tails, nor had Knuckles seen him. She found herself too tired to look further and she took a nap. Sonics hammock wasn't the easiest thing to sleep in, for her anyway, but she was comforted by surrounding herself with his smell. She had only intended it to be out for an hour, but when she opened her eyes again the sun was low in the sky. Sonic still wasn't there so she met up with her friends at Meh Burger.

"This is unusual for him," she said.

"No Dave usually gets our orders wrong," Knuckles replied.

"I meant about Sonic!" she snapped, a little more harshly than she intended. Worry had started to kick in.

"Maybe he's fallen asleep out in the canyon," Tails offered, trying to ease her down. She only mumbled a half-arsed response.

"Maybe he's run away to be with Staci," Dave called over. Amy gave him a hand gesture to show she didn't find that too funny.

"Of course there is a chance that Shadow knows the answer," Sticks added.

"What?"

"Shadow," she said again.

"Why would you think that?" Amy asked with a bored sigh.

"Shadow's behind you!"

"Oh Sticks I'm not falling for that again. It wasn't a funny joke to start with. But ever so good of you to try and cheer me up"

Sticks blinked a few times, "You're patronizing when you're moody. Would you turn around."

Amy rolled her eyes but did as she was told.

He really was there. Stood staring her down from the other side of the village square was Shadow, his frown as deep as ever. As an automatic response she got to her feet and walked slowly towards him. There was no sign of Sonic, and a flutter of doubt sprung up in her stomach. Or was it her hormones reacting to a male presence again?

"Hi," she smiled, "it's been a while."

He didn't say anything. In the blink of an eye he grabbed her with both hands and they vanished from sight.

The three of them sat still at their table, Knuckles still chewing on his bite of burger.

"Oh crap," Sticks finally said, breaking the silence, "not this again."

* * *

This time, though the spinning in her head sent a wave of nausea through her stomach, she managed to keep her lunch down. Shadow kept a strong hold of her while she steadied herself, finding all her senses hit at once with nostalgia. The sight of the house, the smell of the trees, the distant birds singing soft, his velvet fur. Her tongue longed for a familiar taste too.

Her mind engaged before her hormones could take over. She wriggled out of his hands and jumped back a few paces. As darkness fell over her she realised she was at the treeline, and just as quickly she was stood behind him instead.

"What's going on? Why have you brought me here?" she babbled.

He turned to face her. His look was stern but not cold, and he grabbed hold of one of her hands. She tried to pull away but he would not release her.

"I don't know what is going on in that brain of yours, but whatever you're thinking of isn't happening," she snarled, unable to hide the tremble in her voice. It wasn't fear of him, it was the chill coming from the forest. So unnatural.

"We're going in to the woods," he replied.

She pulled against him even harder, "The hell we are! I've done my stint in there. You're the glutton for punishment, not me!"

With his free hand he snatched her upper arm and pulled her close, "That faker...Sonic...he's lost in there."

She took in a sharp gasp, the shock of cold air in her lungs causing her to cough, "Why...how...what have you done?"

He looked pained, and she regretted her words for a second. She placed a hand against his chest as she caught her breath and mumbled a weak apology. It was a small act of comfort, but on the hand he held he intertwined his little finger around her index finger.

"He asked me to bring him here. I refused at first, but he was quite adamant. He wanted to experience what you went through for himself."

She let out a shakey breath, followed by a string of curses aimed at both the absent blue and the present Shadow. All the while she was getting the shock out of her system he kept his physical contact and she allowed it.

"I tried to find him myself," he said when she had exhausted all the bad language she knew, "but if the darkness had taken over him he is not going to respond to my voice. I need you to come with me."

"Together?"

"Together. They can't concentrate on more than one creature at a time, so they aren't going to come for you. But...what they might be showing him...are you prepared for that?"

She shook her head, then nodded, the stormed right in to the tree line with Shadow closely in tow.

A shiver crept up her spine and her confidence faltered, so she fell back until she was stood next to the black hedgehog. He knew these woods better than anyone, but what they were doing to Sonic it was impossible to tell.

"How long has he been in here?" she asked.

"Roughly sixteen hours," he replied, deadpan.

She looked around them nervously, "He could just be lost. These woods are so dense and he might be caught out when walking slow."

He shook his head, "That's not how it works Bud. Once you've beaten them you walk straight out the other side. These woods, they're endless and nothing at the same time."

She started calling his name. Her voice echoed all around, making the silence that followed each cry even harder to hear. The endlessness Shadow spoke of seemed so absolute.

"Will we get stuck here too? If we can't find him?"

"I can teleport out of here, otherwise we would be. That's why I couldn't bring any of that gaggle of friends of yours. Can't risk losing anyone."

"Except Sonic," she snapped.

He shot a glance at her, "You really think I did this to hurt him? I thought you knew me better now."

She sighed again, "I know I'm sorry, I don't...I don't mean it. Sonic, I don't think he knows what he fears. I was mostly prepared for what came my way, but him..."

While Amy carried on calling, Shadow used his heightened senses to detect change in the air. He was sure he had noticed something on the breeze when he first looked for Sonic at the crack of dawn, but he never laid eyes on him. What he hoped was that the blue hedgehog was hiding somewhere and that Amy's voice would bring him out. But it was growing more likely that was the very best case scenario, and worse was likely.

"Is this my fault?" she suddenly squeaked, "should I have told him?"

He stood still. Her whole body looked like it was closing in on itself. Her eyes were wide with increasing fear and a tear traced it's way down her muzzle. He could find no words, so he wrapped her in a tight embrace to make up for the words he couldn't utter. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, as she had all those months ago after their love making at night. He found it hard to stick around then, the fear of growing close to her made lightning in his feet. Now he stood firm, trying to drain her fear out of her, breathing in her scent. He missed her.

There was a growl. It was a low, prowling sound, and it was closer than he would have wished. Amy's female ear hadn't picked it up, which could only mean one thing. It was a warning for him.

There was a rustle in the leaves and Amy whipped round. She couldn't see a thing through the blackness, but it couldn't be anything normal. Anything natural. Not in this place of horrors. She was about to call out when Shadow pushed her so hard she went flying. As the world moved so quickly passed her eyes she only saw a flash of colour across her vision, but the animalistic cry that followed was crisp and cut across her ear drum.

When she looked back to where she had been flung from, Shadow looked ready to fight for his life. His sharp claws had shredded through the tips of his gloves and his fangs were bared. His quills seemed to shake as his hackles raised in front of his opponent.

It was Sonic, and it was not Sonic. His fur seemed so much darker now, like a shadow was cast over his entire form. Every hair, every quill on his back was raised and he was poised on all fours, like a dog going for the kill. His shoes were gone and his pads were bloodied. He too had claws bared and his gloves were long gone.

She whimpered in fright, unsure of what she was being presented with. His head snapped her way, and she could see his eyes were almost all white. He snarled, spittle forming in the corners of his mouth like a rabid animal. The blood froze in her veins and her mind went black.

Shadow took the distraction to make his first leap, but Sonic was prepared and they clashed before a blow could fall. Forehead to forehead, hands against hands, they pushed hard against each other. Sonic snorted and barked while Shadow continued to bare his teeth, hissing at the strain in his arms, a unnatural strength having taken over his blue rival.

"Shadow, what..." Amy breathed, but her voice was too weak to be heard over the harsh sounds coming from the boy she loved so much. She didn't want to be scared but this was like no nightmare she was prepared for. A ghost mimicking a loved one was a dark image, but this was no ghost. This was her Sonic, or it once had been.

Shadow must have shown a moment of weakness for Sonic managed to break his hold and swiped and deep, raw gash right across the black hedgehogs chest. In return Shadow landed a blow straight in to Sonics jaw, but with a quick twist of his head he shook the impact off as if it were a bug bite. He leapt in the air, but Shadow transported out of his reach before he could land.

Their chase began. Amy was frozen to the spot, her eyes fighting to keep sight of them through the everlasting night and the thick, dense forest. She could hear them more than see them, and much to her horror she could hear Shadow's cries of pain over and over again. He was pleading with Sonic for him to snap out of it, but Sonic didn't seem to hear or care. He didn't utter any words, just barks and howls.

There was an almighty crash, the sound of a tree slamming in to the ground. Then followed an eerie silence. The silence that had nearly taken over her when she last faced these demons. Her eyes desperately scanned her surroundings, her ears twisted at all angles but the world had stopped. She eased herself to her feet, finding the strength in her desperate need to help Shadow.

Even alert as she was, she didn't see him coming. Like smoke he formed in front of her, throwing her against a trunk. He used his whole body to press her in to the bark and she screamed in shock and pain. Sonic was too strong, and try as she might to claw out of his grasp he had her tight. She called for Shadow but this only enraged him more and he bit down in to her shoulder. Unlike his mark, this wound was deep and blood was staining her pink dress crimson.

"Sonic, stop," she choked, "it's me, it's Amy! Your Ames."

His face was close to hers, blood was on his hot breath, but all the same he halted.

"Yes that's it! Listen to my voice, listen to my...listen to me. Sonic, come back, come back to me," she gasped, pain still crying through her entire body, but nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Her Sonic was there, buried under the darkness and fear that had consumed him.

With a shaking hand, she cautiously stroked his muzzle.

"I love you."

Suddenly he was sent flying. Shadow had appeared above them, and with a spin barely visible to the eye he had kicked Sonic in the head. Amy fell to the ground in a heap and Shadow stood guarding her. Even from behind she could see how much damage he had taken and his breath was ragged.

"We need to get out of here," he snapped.

She stood, "No! We can't leave him!"

She found her feet and went to push passed Shadow, but even injured his reflexes were quicker and he hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her back in to him. She fought against him, and he yelped as she crashed against the wound on his chest. She felt the sticky heat of his blood against her back and she froze. She was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

"Amy look at him! We need to regroup and return with a better plan! At this rate one of us will die and that includes you!"

"He...he wouldn't do that, he loves me" she whined, powerless.

"The demons of the woods have got too deeply in to him. He's an animal Bud, the only thing he's running on is instinct. He can't..."

She twisted an ear at him, "What? Shadow what is it?"

Shadow pulled her dress away from her shoulder. She jolted in pain and looked away as he examined the wound. The memories of the bites he would give himself rather than marking her came flooding back. He knew clearly a bite to mark and a bite to wound.

"I have an idea," he mumbled.

"I think I do too," she replied, stomach dancing with apprehension.

"If this goes wrong I'll transport us out of here. But, transportation is pretty tough on the body, it's not going to be comfortable or very safe for you."

She nodded, "I trust you."

The dark blue mass stirred. Both their bodies tensed up but they needed him to witness this if it were to have the right impact.

Amy felt Shadow carefully dip a claw in to the back of her collar. Sharp as a blade he delicately tore through the fabric, pulling her dress apart, stopping in the middle of her back. The sound had caught Sonics attention. He turned their way, sharp white eyes scanning them thoroughly but he made no motion to move. She could see he was trying to calculate the situation.

Her cry caught in her throat as Shadow bit down on her scruff. As before, when they had fought and he had held her in a vice like grip, her body fell slack. His strong arm supported her, but with her head down she couldn't see what was ahead. She was at the mercy of both of them. There was a sharp pinch as one fang pierced her skin, and just as abruptly he let her go.

A yelp escaped her lungs as she was freed from the spell. Her eyes shot forward and fell on Sonic, his mouth wide with a cry of silent protest. They had used his animal senses against him, cutting to the very core of his being by fooling him in to believing he had lost his property. But in realising he had lost something like that, his emotions had finally seeped back to the surface.

"A...Ames?"

There was a swirl of black smoke radiating off him, and as it dissipated in to the air it left behind her Blue. Pushing away from Shadow she ran to him, regards for her safety out of the window at the sound of hurt in his voice. She fell to her knees.

"Sonic? Sonic, can you hear me?"

His big green eyes regarded her, before a trembling hand reached out to cup her cheek. It was soft, his claws had retracted and his fur was the blue she knew so intimately. She smiled through her tears as the light he radiated so purely returned to his aura. The darkness was banished.

"It's really you this time," he gasped, tears flowing freely down his poor, battered cheeks. She cradled his head to her chest as she cried too. Through the tears she could see Shadow approach cautiously, blood drying in his snowy white chest fur. Now was not the time to talk, but she held a hand out to him and he took it, connecting the three of them to each other.

Light appeared through the trees as the real world beckoned them home.


	20. Time to Look Within

_So Sonic visits the woods. He can be a trying character to write about at times, he is a hero but he can be so arrogant about it. I approached this theme, as Sonic not having any real fear because she can't imagine having inner demons. Shadow has always know tragedy, Amy had time to learn and prepare for her journey, but Sonic just decides he wants to be included._

 _Warning for gore. Nothing Rob Zombie level but again I rated this fic M for a reason._

 _Also, Boom doesn't offer much in terms of history, so I borrowed family names from the comics._

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega_

* * *

In his arrogance, he was distracted by the house at first. If Shadow had brought him here, then it must have been where Amy had spent that month away from home. It was nothing special; in fact it looked cold and devoid and comfort. It was however, surrounded on all sides, and he could feel the claustrophobia of the circling woods close in on him.

"I strongly advise against this."

Sonic looked over as Shadow, stood a few paces away with his signature arms folded pose.

"Yea you said," Sonic replied with a jerk of the head, "and I still don't care."

"This isn't a game," his rival snapped, his quiet voice rising, "the creatures you will face in there..."

"Like nothing I've ever faced blah blah," he mocked, "isn't that the point of a challenge?"

Shadow turned toward the woods, "What are you trying to prove?"

"Prove? I don't have to prove anything. I'm Sonic the Hedgehog. I'm doing this to try and get my head around my girlfriend."

He heard a snort come from the black hedgehog.

"You can stand there and be high and mighty about this if you want, I don't care. I'm sure you think you know her better than I do...and maybe you do. But she came back to me. She faced this _for me._ I will find a way to crack that shell she has about this place, even if that means I have to face it myself."

Shadow turned back to him. His expression was different, softer than usual, almost sad.

"She faced what lies within for herself. I offered to take her back, but she was determined. You've seen how she fights in her sleep. Are you sure you're up to the same task?"

Sonics bravado had taken over and logic was the last thing he was looking to, "If you can do it, so can I. The fact you shared this with Amy is the one hold you have on her."

Shadows face contorted back to it's usual, angry self, "Whatever you see, you do not touch anything. What you see is not real, they cannot physically harm you, but they can destroy your mind. Don't let them do that, and you'll walk out the other side and straight home."

The tone in Shadows voice made Sonic waver for just a second, the sight of the house where Amy had given up so much of herself to someone else kicked him in to gear, and he broke the treeline.

"Idiot," Shadow mumbled as he watched him go, "I never had a hold on her."

* * *

Sonic did not fare well in confined spaces, and the woods felt like the very definition of oppressive. The way the trees stood so close together to block his path, the darkness so like night though he had seen the sun rise before he entered, even the air felt heavy and unmoving. There was no way he was on Mobius any more. This place was too spooky, too unnatural, to be part of his world.

Spooky, however, did not scare him. There was an uncompromising, eerie atmosphere but it was nothing a well made Haunted House couldn't conjure up. At this rate he would step back in to the Village in no time and he could show Amy he would face anything for her.

"Hey Sonic!"

He whipped around. There was a clearing in the trees that hadn't been there before, and in it stood Tails. He was younger, probably about the age that Sonic first met him. He was waving enthusiastically, wagging his tails back and forth. Young Miles Prower, not exactly the scariest sight to behold.

"Hey kid, what's with the double wag?" he laughed, recalling those as the first words he had said to the young fox.

"Watch!" the cub replied, and with some strained effort he got himself airborne. His face lit up with pride and Sonic gave him a thumbs up. They were kin from that first meeting, Sonic with his unnatural speed and Tails with the ability to fly.

"Shall I go higher?" the not-Tails asked.

"High as you can little buddy. Show me what you got!"

He did just that. With a laugh he spun his tails faster and raised further and further in to the air, the branches of the trees somehow parting to gain him access. No light seeped through so soon the little fox was out of sight. He could still be heard however, and his laughter soon turned to gasps.

"Woah time to come back down," Sonic called, and his request was granted. Tails came hurtling towards the ground at speed, screaming in absolute terror. He landed with a gut wrenching thud, and there was the distinct sound of cracking bones. As Sonic ran to him he found the little guy twisted and broken, blood spilling from his agape mouth.

Sonic covered his mouth as he gagged. He stepped back and closed his eyes, fighting the image now etched in to his memory. Tails had faltered as he was learning to fly, but with Sonics encouragement he had always carried on regardless. If Sonic had thought he would ever end up like this...

He shook his head and ran in the other direction. It wasn't real. Tails was older now, an experienced flier both in and out of machines. He had grown up since then, and he was able to say no to Sonics bad influence. He _was_.

The Blue Blur stopped still and took a deep breath to steady himself. Okay so that had caught him off guard, but he knew what he was dealing with now. Tails was his youngest friend but that didn't mean he was weak. The woods...they misunderstood Sonics feelings towards the young fox if they thought he was scared of that. Tails was independent now.

This time he saw the mist swirling in to form near him. He took a stance as if he was going in to battle, but the shape that merged before him was himself. He was a baby, stood on his shaky legs in a pen while his parents stood nearby. At first he was happy to see his folks, but their faces were twisted in disgust as they looked down upon his younger image. The baby Sonic started running around in his pen, circle after speedy circle. His Mother started crying.

"What's going on Jules? Should we seek medical help?"

"And tell them what Bernie? Our son is a freak of nature? Who knows what they might do to him."

"I can't take him outside! What will I tell everyone!"

"Perhaps...I mean look at what he's doing...he might have an accident..."

"Bullshit!" Sonic cried in to the air, and all at once the ghosts vaporised in to nothing. He was still glaring at the spot that they stood.

"My parents loved me...they love me! My Dad encouraged me to run! Mom told me I was blessed with this ability. She discovered my spin dash! You dropped the ball on this one!"

Of course, there was no reply, and all that remained was the sound of his own voice echoing all around him. His abilities were out of the blue but his parents had always been proud of him. They told him to go out there and save the world, and that's what he did! He was only a child when he left home and they had encouraged him to do so! He hadn't ever taken that as a sign they were pushing him out!

Did he? No of course not, it wasn't like he couldn't go back and see them. He was their only child and they liked having him around. They were always happy to hear of his stories and of his battles. He would show them how these powers were a blessing. Nobody ever called him a freak of nature. Only...only perhaps Eggman.

A familiar sound in the air felt like he had thought him in to existence. There he was, weaving in and out of the trees in his Eggmobile. His robots were not in tow, but in his hand the Doctor held a vicious looking rifle. He never used weapons like that. He was Eggman, but somehow not him at the same time. He looked so much colder, so much more like a machine.

All around him villagers popped up out of the smoke. So many faces he knew, young and old, new friends and new faces; just about everyone in his memory was there. He was there too, but he was stock still, staring skyward in fear at the Doctor. The real Sonic followed suit as the first crack of the shot gun rung through the air.

Down went Dave. The bullet passed right through his head, and he dropped to the ground in a pool of his own matter. Next went Old Monkey, and Knuckles as he ran to help.

This was not Eggman. Never would he kill in such a cold and calculated manner. Sonic didn't even have to worry that the villagers would be struck down so brutally, so to watch, helpless as his whole neighbourhood perished was like being stabbed in the gut repeatedly. He wanted to speak but bile was catching in his throat and his vision blurred with tears. They were so innocent.

"Sonic, why aren't you helping?" Sticks cried. Sonic ran a few paces towards her before he realised she was talking to the ghost him. The badger then fell too, a shot to the stomach, and a agonising, wheezing death.

Sonic turned to his ghost counterpart, who was walking slowly in their direction.

"I can't, remember," he sighed as Sticks took her last breath, "I'm not anything any more. No more running, no more spinning, no more saving. No more Sonic."

The real Sonic watched in horror as his ghost walked away from the scene. The sound of the gun rang through his ears and he could no longer take the sound or the sight. He bolted as fast as he could, darting between trees and ghosts and bullets. He wanted to hunt his ghost self down and scream at him that he wasn't the sum of his speed. He was more than that, he could still save their lives if he just tried! Normal people could be hero's too!

Instead he was aimless and he ran blindly. He barely felt the sharp stings of the knife like branches as he was whipped by them over and over. He finally stopped when he caught his ankle on a fallen limb and he was sent flying.

* * *

Time didn't pass the same way in the wood. He could no longer deny that pain raking at his body. His ankle was swollen and pressed tightly against his bindings. He removed the tape and his shoe, noticing at least it wasn't broken.

The cold seeped in to him. It wasn't a chill like he had ever known. It was more like a wave of ice, pouring though his core. He had been so stupid, he had been so arrogant.

He had been so _Sonic_.

He was no hero, he was just some freak who got lucky. If he didn't have the bizarre make up in his genes, he would be nobody. Would anyone tolerate his smug attitude if he didn't have all these abilities? Would Tails have idolized him so much? Would Amy have stuck around?

Blowing through the cold came a rush of warm air. It touched his cheek softly, a welcome kiss of heat. The encompassing silence was broken by a gentle, soothing hum. Turning round, he no longer cared if she was a ghost or not, he saw his Amy. He raised himself carefully to his feet and smiled widely as she approached.

She looked older than she was now. Her quills were tied neatly behind her head and she was fuller than her teenage form. Her face was the same though, from her delicate lips to her beautiful button nose and her stunning, clover eyes. She smiled and sighed his name.

"Sonic, my true Blue. Come over here."

He desired her touch more than anything, but he hesitated. As he took a step back she raised her arms and a wisp of smoke took shape in her arms. It was a bundle of blankets, but his ear caught the lightest sound. A gurgle, and a squeak of laughter. It grabbed him by the heart and pulled him in.

She was a beautiful little hoglet. Everything about her was so tiny. Her fur was a deep lilac shade, much like his Mothers, and her glistening eyes looked much like his. Having children seemed so far in to his future, but this image before him, this little family, he knew it was the one thing he needed.

"Hold her?" Amy sighed, "Take the baby, Sonic."

The baby. Hearing those words in her voice shot an arrow of doubt through his head. His Amy, the real Amy, she had uttered those words in her nightly horrors. She had never explain the details to him, but it was enough to send a warning to him and she stepped backward.

It happened so quick, he had no time to react. Shadow appeared behind the other Amy, and with a swipe as fast as lightning he had clawed a deep, gaping hole in her throat. Blood coloured her soft, pink fur a deep crimson and she coughed away her life.

"She's mine, or nobodies," Shadow growled, and as Amy fell he made a grab for the baby. That's when Sonics instincts took over and he lunged at the scene, reaching for the child before he lost her too.

That was the last he remembered clearly. There had been black, so much black. Flashes of trees shooting passed, sounds of demonic laughter, incoherent attacks on his senses and he had lashed out. Smoke demons that tried to kill him. The taste of blood on his lips. Nothing was real until he heard her break through the mess. A tiny yelp, a sound of both pleasure and pain that stabbed through his defective vision. There was only one time she made that sound. His eye focussed on her in Shadows arms, but she had run to him and held him and comforted him. She was real once again; she was alive but she was hurt and she was no longer bonded to him. Their animal heritage lingered in their blood, and now Amy had been marked by another, she just didn't smell the same.

He had so many questions for her but he could not face them. He knew in his heart of hearts he had hurt her in so many ways. She was hurt when he had awoken from his spell. Her face, even as she beamed at him, showed a wariness. As she had held him close, she had held her hand out so Shadow too. She must had bonded to Shadow to protect herself, and worst of all to protect herself from _him_. She had fallen in love with his rival for all the right reasons after all and his vision had shown him what would happen if he fought for her affections.

She would admit it to herself eventually. Sonic wasn't going to be the man she thought he would be. He needed her to make him feel more than just the Blue Blur, but that was not something he could demand of her. She would be safer with Shadow and he would never have the feel the pain of losing her again. It would be easier if he detached now and let her go.

* * *

He said he didn't want to see her, so she stayed away. Amy sat on one of the loungers near to Sonics hut, out of his sight but not abandoning him completely. She flicked through her book, not reading any of the words but needing to keep her hands busy. She would twist her head quickly now and again to look in the direction of his doorway, but he did not appear.

She scratched at the tape holding her bandage in place. After a week it had healed well but she picked at it in her sleep, and to save it scarring badly she kept it covered. That, and it was easier to avoid questions that way.

Of course it wasn't the only sign that teeth had sunken in to her. The mark on her back was small, but it was heavy with meaning. She knew from how quickly Shadow had pulled away after breaking the skin; that he had no intention of leaving any mark and that the action was just to try and unravel Sonic from his curse. It had worked, but almost too well, and it seemed to have broken their bond. The chemicals in her brain made her crave Shadows company, though her heart fought against it. But after they emerged from the woods the black hedgehog vanished in to thin air and hadn't been heard from since. His pride and his nerves must have been as shredded as his fur. The further apart they were from each other, the better.

For everything he had gone through, Sonics physical wounds were superficial. He had sprained an ankle, which would need to be rested so he couldn't run very far. For once, he didn't want to. He was exhausted and hungry, but after he had satisfied those needs he had closed himself off from everyone except Tails. She didn't know what he could remember of his possession or his battle with Shadow, but he seemed to focus so well on the minimal, insignificant bite mark on her back. To save him further confusion she had blamed the bite on her shoulder on Sticks, and Sticks, ever the loyal friend had played along. 'Don't sneak up on me before I've had my tea' the badger had laughed.

Amy didn't feel like she would be laughing any time soon. She was trying to respect he needed his space, but she needed to know they were okay. She had to know that they could get back to the normality they had finally found. She needed to know what the woods had shown him, what had caused such a darkness to take control. By her own experience he must have touched one of the creatures, and whereas she had Shadows voice call to her to help her fight, Sonic had been alone. She needed to mend the bond that had been broken; broken only to save their lives! He had to know that was why things had gone they way they had.

There was movement, and Tails emerged from the hut. Even from a distance she could see his shoulders slump when he locked eyes with her. All the same he walked over to her and she jumped to her feet, book discarded on the floor.

"What has he said?" she demanded.

Tails looked wary, "He's not really saying much Amy."

"You've been in there for hours! Are you telling me he hasn't said anything?!"

He took a step back, "I mean...nothing significant! He's quiet, and what he does talk about is just day to day."

"Day to day? DAY TO DAY?!" she screamed, throwing her hammer as far as she could in to the horizon.

Tails spun himself airborne, "Please Amy, calm down, this isn't going to help. He can hear you."

But the red mist had clouded her better judgement, "Then he can listen to carefully to this! We all get scared once in a while, and maybe he should accept that even HE has to be now and then. YOU DESERVE THIS BLUE! For once why did you not just listen to me?"

* * *

Amy had been lying on Sticks bed crying when the first sign of chill blew through. She had told her faithful badger friend everything of course, and Sticks had sat in silence and carefully listened to every word.

"I had to see him Sticks. I lost my temper and I refused to listen to Tails," Amy had explained, "I stood in his doorway and when he looked at me, I saw...I saw...nothing. The spark, it had gone."

Sticks rubbed her back, "He's had the shock of his life. His mind is probably still there, it's just clouded. What must he have gone through to turn him in to that? You said yourself, he has no idea what real fear is, and then it's all he can see. Maybe he's ashamed of what he did?"

Amy didn't seem to hear her, "He told me to go," she coughed, "that I should go to where I belong. What...what does that even _mean_?!"

As Amy had broken down, Sticks made her rest her head and cry out the last of the shock. She wanted to burn that wood to the ground, not something a creature so in touch with nature felt lightly. Her pink friend was fading to grey before her. She would have to intervene and force Blue to come out of his shell. Time to face reality. He had to know those ghosts had manipulated him to feed on his fear. Whatever he had seen, it wasn't fate, it was just a nightmare.

They had been holed up in her burrow for an entire night. Their ancestors were burrowers and even Amy still found comfort in them when she was at her weakest. Sticks was an expert and through carefully maintained fires and a well sealed doorway they had been cosy. So when the chestnut creature opened her door she squealed at the rush of cold air that hit her fur like a sledgehammer. She slammed the door shut.

"Sticks," Amy sniffed, "what's going on?"

"The retailers have turned down the temperate on the sun in an evil scheme to get us to buy more coats!" the badger cried in reply, eyes wide and mind racing.

Amy didn't have the energy to argue and she walked over to open the door herself. When the wind cut through her she cried out in shock and she too slammed it back shut.

"I don't think I've ever felt a chill like that this close to the coast! We've been up mountains before it's got that cold!"

"I told you," Sticks snapped, "RETAILERS!"

Amy began to sort through the monster pile Sticks had hoarded towards the back of the burrow, looking for as many blankets as she could find.

"That wind has blown in too suddenly. The villagers aren't prepared for weather like this. We need to go see the Mayor and make sure we get together emergency supplies for those who need it."

Sticks forgot her paranoia for a moment and admired Amy Rose. Her emotions could be changed as easily as flicking a switch. She was also more a hero than she would let on and in times of crisis she was prepared. The hedgehog wiped away the streaks of make up that ran down her face, bundled up what she could, and made for the door without so much as a hesitation.


	21. A Frozen Moment

_I feel I am now at the right place to let you know I am working on a follow up to this fiction, and the first few chapters are posted. It is set 14 years after these events, and concentrates mostly on Shadow, but Sonic and Amy play a huge part. It's called "The Dangerous Innocent" and as it refers to scenes in this chapter, I suggest reading this first._

 _Anyway, back to here. This chapter was hard to write, my weaknesses show through in parts and it eats at me. The premise will not change, but it may get a tidy up later. I have not forgone my promise to resolve the Staci arc, that will come next chapter._

 _Thanks so much to my reviewers, and to all who are sticking with me. Once more into the breach!_

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega._

* * *

The wind picked up in the short time it took them to reach the village. Cloud cover had buried the sun and it was dark though it was mid morning by that point. The villagers were appearing from everywhere and the girls met up with Tails and Knuckles. A few wore coats but the vast majority were either wrapped in blankets or nothing but their own arms. Amy handed out what she had to hand.

"Where's Sonic?" Amy immediately asked as she reached the guys, kicking herself for asking after him too readily.

"I helped him back to my place," Tails replied, "he can't stand for very long yet. Without any power though he's going to get bored."

"No power?" Amy mumbled.

"Didn't you notice? It's been out for hours. We were just in the middle of a Monochrome the Monkey marathon when..."

Amy didn't wait to hear any more before she stormed in to City Hall and made a beeline for the Mayors office. His door was wide open and as she permitted herself entry she was able to confirm what she feared the most. The Meroki crystal was gone.

"Oh Amy Rose! I'm glad you and Sonic are here! You see..."

"Somebody took the crystal. We've lost our power. It's getting colder outside by the minute and people cannot heat their homes."

"I was going to say that! Wait where is Sonic?"

She stood before the hole in the wall that housed the Crystal. They had only found the village a new one a couple of years previously and it was set to power the village for years to come. As her friends followed her in they too understood the perilous situation they were in as they clocked the missing artefact.

"Did the retailers take the crystal too?" Sticks asked.

"Retailers? Oh no," replied Mayor Fink, "it was Shadow."

Amy burst out laughing, "That's almost as nutty as the retailers theory."

The Mayor remained sour faced, "He was seen leaving through the front door. I'm sure it was all caught on camera too, but of course with the power out we can't check."

Amy scoffed, "In the middle of the night, someone is sure they saw him sneak out the front door with the crystal? What would he even need it for?"

"A black figure was seen sneaking away. Who else do we know who is black? Last we knew, Miss Rose, Shadow was working with Doctor Eggman and that traitor Staci. He could be doing this for either of them."

Of course Amy wouldn't have any of it, but she couldn't tell the Mayor the truth about Staci and Shadow. Instead she tried a different angle.

"Reliable witness?" she asked, addressing the Mayor.

"I am not at liberty to divulge that information," he replied, fidgeting with his collar.

"We have bigger concerns," Sticks called from the window, and they all walked over to stand by her. The sky was now black and snow had started to fall in heavy sheets.

"We need to get everyone in the hall!" Knuckles called, running out of the room, "warmth in numbers!"

They all jumped in to action. Tails said he would go fetch Sonic, but Amy's mind was racing and she didn't really hear him. Most of the villagers were running their way anyway, and the more able bodied were searching the homes of the elderly and anyone with young. Visibility was getting worse by the minute and the cold was painful against her exposed limbs. Her senses were on high alert and she could just about make out the shapes of her team mates running through the village. They had come across snowy weather in the past, but never this close to home and never on this level. She had clothing at home more suitable to this kind of weather, but at this rate she may never find her way back there.

"Chumley!"

Usually the voice of Lady Walrus was nothing more than an annoyance, as was her youngest sons ability to get him in to danger. But in this weather, it sent a colder chill up her spine than the snow. He was still only a toddler and very much in danger. Amy called in to the bleak sky for Lady Walrus to go back inside, and that they would find Chumley.

She could hear four other voices calling out for the child. At most there should have been three. Sonic was in no state to be outside.

She buzzed his communicator, "Sonic, get to City Hall, we'll find him."

"He needs finding," came his blunt reply.

"You are hurt," she snapped in to her device, "we don't want to have to look for both of you."

"No, I'll bet you aren't keen on doing that again."

She opened her mouth to respond angrily, but a hard gust blew so hard it caught her air supply off for a second. Her heart began to race with adrenaline and shock as she heard a creak cut through the whistling winds. It started as a heavy groan but once the sound of splintering wood joined it she knew what was happening. Her eyes scanned blanketed sky for the sight of the tree falling, and towards the Library she saw the outline of it rushing towards the ground. The sound of it's impact thundered all around her, but even that could not drown out the sound of Sonics cry of pain.

She pushed against the blistering cold towards him. The outline of Knuckles and Sticks became clearer as they approached the chilling groans of agony. Her heart was in her throat, but the odd curse mixed in with his yells were at least a sign he was alive and had his wits about him.

His blue finally showed through the driving snow. She could see his leg was trapped beneath one of the branches of the fallen oak. Chumley was sat to the side of him, looking scared and confused. Amy knelt by them both and scooped up the child, holding his trembling body close. Sonics eyes were clamped shut.

"I got this!" Knuckles cried over the howling winds, and he furiously dug away at the ground below Sonics trapped limb. Sticks put her hands under his armpits, ready to pull him free when given the signal.

"Where's Tails?" Amy cried.

"He's back at City Hall I think," Sticks yelled back, "it will be chaos back there. Get Chumley to safety!"

"But...Sonic..."

"Go!" Sonic snapped, turning sharply to her. His face was contorted with the pain and the sharp kick of the wind, "These guys can get me out. Get the kid out of here."

"But you're going to need hospital treatment," she snapped back, "and we don't know how much back up power the doctor has."

"Amy! NOW!"

She raised to her feet and ran. Chumley held on to her for dear life and this small act was the only thing that could break her away from her fallen partner. The snow was already so deep she waded the rest of the way.

* * *

Tails met her at the door, ushering her inside. He threw a blanket around her shoulders and prised the baby walrus out of her arms.

"Well done Amy," he smiled, "Sticks just beeped me, they got Sonic out and they'll be back any minute."

Her smile was weak, but she had faced a lot in a short amount of time. Strong as she was even she must have had her limits, they all did. He carried Chumley over to his Mother, and once he got the local physician giving the baby the once over he headed back for Amy. He knew the situation was looking dire but with Zooeys caring nature and basic nurse training they would be able to keep everyone safe for now. A storm this strong could not last.

Before he could find her the door burst open and in staggered his other three friends. From their extremities he could tell it had only gotten colder and those who could provide medical care rushed about to get them looked after. Sonic was in agony and given painkillers right away. Knuckles had scooped up Sticks and had wrapped her in to a bear hug and try and warm her up. Even with all the villagers in one room like that they cold seeped in. They were only lit by lanterns and even the mildest expression of fear was heightened in the poor light.

"Amy?" Sonic called, the haze of drugs now kicking it, "is Ames back?"

Tails smiled at his fallen companion, "She and Chumley got back fine. Just rest for a bit, she's probably off investigating the crime scene."

Sonic nodded and conked out. But as Tails searched for Amy he began to get a strange feeling in his stomach. As much as Blue could be reckless, so too could the rose. He tried to reach her communicator but she was not responding. He passed on his concerns to Knuckles and Sticks.

"She looked as white as the snow when she was with us earlier," Sticks mused, "that was a pretty nasty noise coming out of Sonic."

"They've barely spoken since he went in to those woods," Tails added, "he hasn't really been himself. I know he doesn't want to push Amy away, not really. But when she got mad..."

"She turned in to Amy," Sticks interrupted, "and even now when he's told her he doesn't want her she's out there in this frozen hell, no doubt worried about his medical care."

"I'll find her," Knuckles said, proudly puffing out his chest, but Tails shook his head.

"Look at your communicator. It indicates the weather is dropping by the minute. It's not safe for any of us to go out there. The only one quick enough to chance it, was Sonic."

They all looked at each other with blank faces. It was quickly dawning on them the gravity of the situation.

"She'll have just gone home," Knuckles said, nodding his head, "Can't leave behind her healing crystals, am I right?"

"Not the time Red," Tails sighed.

"Sorry. Not the time to force a laugh eh?"

The fox froze, "Force...force...oh I am such an idiot!"

He quickly brought up the tracker on his communicator. Blue Force One had been installed with a tracking device years ago and even through the storm he should have been able to bring it up.

He did, and much to horror it was moving. Not only that, but Amy's little pink dot was riding on top of it.

"She's gone looking for another crystal," Tails whispered, his stomach dropping through the floor as he racked his brain for something in his inventory that could handle deep snow and strong winds. There was nothing. Amy was in terrible danger and they couldn't do anything to save her.

An all too familiar feeling.

* * *

Her wonderful, cosy little home was so cold she could have cried. The icy temperatures seem to draw the happiness out of everything it was touching. Regardless of whether or not it would pass quick, they needed power right away. It wasn't just that Sonic was injured and needed x-rays, there were villagers, young and old, who would already be struggling. They couldn't warm themselves with just the blankets and clothing they had. Small fires could be contained inside but they would not be enough.

There was no way Shadow was the culprit, but there was no time to try and find out who it was. She would have to go back to the Temple and try and find another Meroki Crystal. The Ancients ran their civilisation on them, they had unknown power, they would have had more than one stored away. She would take Blue Force One and find her way up the mountain, dig out a new crystal, and be back before anyone had to succumb to the frozen storm battling down on the village.

It only briefly crossed her mind that the two events were too close to be coincidental. The cold was already affecting her thought processes, so before she could regret her decision she buttoned up her ski gear and headed out.

The world was white. The wind felt like it was stripping her fur off her skin. How could such a vibrant, beach side paradise have been wiped off the face of the planet in such a short space of time. Even in her boots the snow was a struggle, and by the time she neared Sonics hut she was already reaching exhaustion. The ocean crashed violently against the shore, but the blue waters were thick and sludge like. She looked out to the horizon and wondered how Eggman was coping. There was no safe way to get to him now.

As she passed by the doorway to Sonics hut she paused. It was deserted of course, virtually empty even when he was there, but it conjured up a thousand memories. Their first meeting as children, their first awkward kiss, many many fights, and most recently where he had pushed her away.

She shook her head. Tears would be a dangerous thing to shed in this weather, so she set about digging out Blue Force One. By some miracle Sonic had kept it covered and once the blanket was off she settled in to the drivers seat. After some calculated button pushing, the machine around her warped itself correctly, and she set off for the mountain.

The weather was treacherous when they searched for the crystal before. Back then they could have powered through on foot, but as she found once behind the wheel that weather had been nothing. The snow covered mountain was horrendous in it's regular state, but as she was finding, in a storm it was deadly.

Outlines became vague shapes, shapes became nothing and soon the world around her was pure white. Her eyes stung in the biting wind and even the thick scarf covering her nose and mouth were covered in icicles. Had seen been able to see anything, or even been able to feel the change in surface below the wheels, she may have been able to avoid her terrible fate. As it was, there was no time to react after a sharp crack pierced the air. Like broken glass, the frozen lake below her cracked in to a thousand pieces, and she was dragged in to the black, icy depths.

* * *

Even the Ultimate Lifeform had his weaknesses, and his was lying half frozen in his arms. Until he had marked her he had no idea how strong that bind would tie him to her. No matter how far he got from her he felt the uncontrollable pull to come back to her. He needed to protect her, to hold her. He had wanted to for months, but now it felt like he would break in two if he didn't.

The storm had caught him off guard. He was inexperienced with snow, but with his instincts he had begun to close in on her. It was easy enough to teleport to the places he already knew but he had not found her in the village. Her footprints had been buried under the snow but his instincts were on the mark.

He heard the ice crack before he had seen anything. He had been flying high, fighting against the painfully cold gusts, but at that sound he dived and followed his heart. The water was so cold even he had felt his vision go black for a moment, but he reached in to the depths and found her hand all the same. She cannot have been in the water for more than half a minute, but she was not awake. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as her body fought against the weather.

She was too weak for him to teleport them to the village. It was a shock to the able bodied, in her state the action might very well kill her. The area around them was a white out, but he saw a speck of black against the backdrop. A cave, _his_ cave, not ideal but at least a place he could shelter them and bring her back from the brink. He could feel himself starting to weaken but his resolve to keep her safe was keeping him going. For now at least.

He glided over the snow, the white powder melting under his rocket shoes. The temperature was so low it froze again almost instantly. As he made it to the mouth of the cave he was relieved to see the soft, pink glow of the Ancients marking was still present and he carried her deep inside. There would be no wood for kindling and none could be dried effectively. They were out of the wind, and as the cave went deep down they were warmer than the surface. As best as he could he blocked up the entrance to the cave to but a barrier against the icy blow. The storm would pass soon enough. He had already tried reaching his teammates, but there was only a static crackle to be heard. All the same he set the headpiece buried in his ear in to Emergency mode. It would continue to give off a distress call.

He took off her dress carefully, making sure it hadn't frozen to her fur. It caught on the bandage on her shoulder, and he carefully peeled the whole thing off. The bite wound was deep but it was healing well. He removed her boots and stockings, replacing them with his own shoes and socks to at least try and cover her a little. Lastly he replaced her sodden gloves with his own. He didn't feel comfortable doing this without her consent, but she was in more danger lying in wet clothes. He lay back and rested her still trembling form on top of him, wrapping his arms around her tight.

His ear twitched at the sound of her whimpering in her sleep. There was one place he could not protect her, perhaps the one place he still haunted her. He could understand why that blue fool wanted to experience what she had been through, but while Shadow had confidence she could fight her demons he hadn't been so sure about Sonic. His fears had been justified, but he did not hold it against the faker. Just as Shadow had always known fear, Sonic had never faced loss. Somewhere in between the two of them stood Amy Rose, capable of facing her inner demons but also of living a content life.

He wanted her, but he did not wish his life on her. Much as it killed him inside to admit, she belonged with Sonic, and the fool had made it clear he couldn't live without her. If he was aware of how close he had come to losing her, to still losing her, he would snap out of his selfish attitude. Shadow knew Sonic still perceived him as a threat, and it must have seemed justified when he had lost his mark on Amy. Of course Shadow had not tried to bite her that hard, but perhaps his animal instinct had won. Part of her would always be his after all.

She stirred, her hand tugging lightly at his chest fur. She tried to lift her head but he held her down gently.

"Don't waste your energy Bud, lay still."

"Sha..dow," she whispered, her voice juddering as her jaw shook, "what...hap..."

"You were stupid is what happened. What were you doing out in this weather? Everyone else has stayed sheltered."

"Crystal...stolen...Sonic...hurt...he needs...hospital. N-n-n-no power!"

A voice in the back of his head was trying to speak, but he pushed it to one side as Amy curled in to a foetal position. She was still so cold to the touch but too weak to move. He rubbed her back, and pulled her up closer so her nose rested against his neck. He needed to feel her breathing, and he leaned his cheek against her forehead. Her scent, even now, intoxicated him.

"They will all be fine. The storm will pass. Once it's safe to take you out there I will get you home."

She nuzzled against him, "Our home."

He didn't understand her meaning, and he didn't want to encourage the conversation in a way that would take advantage of her weakened state. She belonged in the village and he did not, that was the way of it.

"Shadow?" her tiny voice asked?

"I told you not to waste your..."

"Wh-why didn't...you w-w-want to k-k-keep me?"

His hand stopped still on her back. She didn't move or even open her eyes, nothing to indicate she was even aware she was speaking. To answer seemed such a painful process when they were both already suffering so much. To answer and not be able to run away almost made him angry with apprehension. But they were bound, not just by the temporary mark, and perhaps he would ease his soul to do what he feared.

"Because it would be keeping you. You did not want to stay, and I accepted that. You...belong with him."

"H-he p-p-pushed me...away!"

"He's a fool who got scared. When he finds out you ended up at the bottom of a lake trying to help him...he will forget his childish pout. And you will be happy."

She let out a long moan, as if a ghost was escaping from her, "I want you happy too."

The tension in her body was gone and she was asleep again. He took comfort in the feel of her breath and her heartbeat, now stronger than they were. As strong as he was he too was fighting the effects of being in the icy lake, and soon enough he too had fallen asleep. For a frozen moment, they looked like two lovers passing the night in each others embrace.

Something they would never be. Loving her was far too foolish.

* * *

That was how they were found. Knuckles smashed through the rock, a thick layer of ice making the task harder than usual. The white bat that had led them there squealed with delight and soon he was cracking stone like it was chalk. He really wanted to impress her.

She had flown in that morning, along with military men. The villagers had only known Eggman, so when a dozen humans in military uniform had burst in they all tried to flee. Rouge, the pretty white bat, and flown above the crowd and bellowed for them all to hold still. Knuckles had fallen in love on the spot. As the humans had brought in supplies, Rouge presented them with their missing crystal.

"Oh it's such a pretty rock," she had sighed in a sultry voice, "but for the greater good I will give it up."

Sticks had jumped in to fight mode, "And why do you got it, Toots? Was it you who stole it? Who are all these guys? Are they all related to Eggman? I knew this storm was a plot by the corporations. What kind of brand is G.U.N?"

Knuckles had pushed forward and taken hold of Rouge's lovely, long fingers, "She means no harm, she's just a little coo-coo. How may I be of service?"

The bat had smiled, "My my, I was told you were an idiot, but what a tall, handsome idiot you are. I need you and your friends to come with me."

"I'll do anything for...the one who brought back our crystal," Tails added, beaming a goofy smile at her. Sticks and Zooey had both growled. The white bat winked at both of them, squeezing her cleavage together.

"Good. I got a distress call from Shadow, but I can't reach him on his communicator. If he's here, he's probably with that Rose."

They didn't need asking twice after hearing about Amy. They had spent the last day waiting for the storm to die down enough to go out after her. Or at the very least hear from her. After the signal from both her communicator and Blue Force One had vanished, they feared the worst.

With Sonic still doped up and broken they went without him. The military men loaned them a couple Snowmobiles, and Knuckles had jumped up behind Rouge while Sticks and Tails followed on their own. The sun was beaming down on the white snow, and the bat had trouble seeing so she let Knuckles drive. At least that's why she said she swapped positions, but Sticks noticed she seemed to rather enjoy wrapping her greedy arms around the echidna.

"That's one way to keep warm, I guess," Rouge had smirked when they found the sleeping pair.

"Don't be stupid!" Sticks snapped in return, "Look, her clothes must have got wet, they're frosted over. This is the best way to preserve body heat!"

"I'll bet," the moaned, "how about it handsome, fancy a cuddle?"

"IthinkIcoulddothatMiss!" he had cried a little too eagerly.

"Knucks don't you dare! Get them bundled up and back to the Doctor."

"Both of them?" Tails asked uneasily.

"Leave Shadow to me," Rouge smiled, patting Knuckles on the forearm, "I'm going to get him back to headquarters. Take that pretty pink girl back, but don't go forgetting me. I'll be back soon enough."

Sticks snorted, "Who said we want you back?"

Rouge laughed as she eased Shadow to his feet, "I've got a lot to clear up honey badger. Somebody wanted your whole village to perish last night. Aren't you the least bit interested who?"


	22. All Were Saved

_I can't believe the hours I have put in to this fanfic. Even tonight I was tweaking it here and there, but I am done at last. Welcome to Staci's redemption, the end for Shadows part in Amy's life (for now) and the start of her future with Sonic. I hope there is enough conclusion. There is also an epilogue to tie things over to my new story. I guess I've grown attached to my cast of players._

 _Thank you all for sticking with me all this time, or for trying this out, or however you reached the end of this story. Your feedback and tips have made a big difference._

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega_

* * *

He was finally breaking through the haze of his painkillers. His ankle no longer hurt but the medicines used to block the pain somehow made him feel much worse. He was sleepy and he was nauseous and the cast around his leg felt heavy.

He looked sideways to the bed next to his. Amy was still hooked up to a drip and she was buried under a few blankets. It had been two days since the storm and the weather had virtually returned to normal. The mysterious bat and the humans had restored the crystal and power had filtered back. Damages were being fixed and Rouge had said she would return to bring the criminal responsible to justice. Their appearance had tipped the balance of their reality, and the Bat Spy had claimed their presence in his world was only temporary. By Shadows command they were to come and go only to protect the village. Popping to a parallel dimension was old hat now, but they came from a different one entirely. He shook his head; he had bigger things to think about.

With some difficulty he eased himself off the bed and pulled up a chair next to Amy's side. She had been asleep for most of the time she had been there, and when she was awake she was incoherent. Their friends had stopped by to see them, and they had all spoken to her to keep her mind active. They had little information for Sonic as the only one present who knew what had happened was Amy. Doctor Quack had concluded that Amy was suffering from exposure, and that Shadows actions had probably saved her life.

"I'm thinking of installing a front door," Sonic grumbled sleepily, "that wind was pretty nasty. The snow has soaked everything inside my hut. Not that there was much to ruin I guess."

She remained unmoving.

"I spend a lot of time at your place anyway. Would it be so bad if I...I dunno...ditched the bro pad for something a bit cosier? So, whenever you wake up, I can fetch you a healthy breakfast?"

She sighed heavily but there would be no words. He didn't even know if she could hear him.

"I've never failed you Ames, at least I've always been able to rescue you if you needed it. I...didn't want to push you away. Hell, if anything I've never wanted you closer, but what if I hurt you? What if you're better off...with Shadow?"

She lay so still, it was hard to believe she was even there. Sonic was going to move back to his own bed when there was a flash by the window. He was starting to hate it, but at least this time he guessed it was coming. Perhaps, since had he _maybe_ saved her life, he had _some_ right to drop by. Come to claim his property back.

"I was wondering when you'd show up. Visiting hours are over Shadow."

His ebony twin gave him a frown, but his face flashed with a hint of sadness as he traced his eyes over Amy's prostrate form.

"How is she?"

"Alive."

"I've not come here to cause trouble."

"No? Going to just steal her away while she's unconscious?"

Shadow snorted like an angry bull, "You are pushing your luck."

Sonic shrugged, "Why is it that, whenever you appear, Amy is put in danger in some way?"

Shadow crossed his arms, "I think you'll find if you look back, you are the reason she's like this."

Sonic stood up to charge, but a bolt of pain shot through his ankle and he fell back on his butt. He took a few deep breaths before he spoke again.

"I didn't intend to break my ankle. I didn't plan for the weather to go to hell. I didn't tell her to go out and find another crystal."

"You were adamant you were going to pass through those woods with ease. Instead they nearly destroyed you. You, in turn, nearly destroyed _us._ Then you proceed to push her away rather than stand by her side but because she cares about you she took foolish risks for you anyway. At your hand, one way or another, she has nearly died twice in a short space of time."

Sonic stared him down, but his anger was failing as a spark in his memory was being ignited, "What do you mean, nearly destroyed you?"

Shadow scowled at him, "So you don't recall what happened in the woods?"

"I saw what my future held. Your jealousy is going to take you over one day. If I stay with Amy, you will eventually kill my famil..."

"Me? My jealousy? You fucking idiot! You were told those images in the wood were just visions, they are not real predictions of the future. It knew you feared loosing her to me and they played that fear against you," Shadow growled, his angry voice bouncing off the walls, "YOU became the monster you still perceive me to be and had we not broken through to you, you might very well have killed us both!"

At those words, the fog lifted from his memory and he could see flashes of what he had done. Images he hoped were just nightmares were now so tangible. His fight with Shadow, the feel of his teeth sinking in to Amy's shoulder, the unrelenting rage that blocked out all logical thought. The moment Shadow had marked her, the moment Sonic had lost his biological ownership of her, he had to come back to reality to claim her back.

Sonic tried to find words, but there were none, so Shadow continued.

"I accepted that Bud would never be mine long ago. She has, and always will be yours. The only crime she is guilty of is trying to heal herself, to _better_ herself. I am bound to her until you make her yours again, then the bond breaks and she and I are free. Are you so dense you thought she would stay with me just because I bit her? When she wakes up you will beg forgiveness. And then, for Chaos sake, will you both be happy with what you have?"

Sonic took a deep breath, and the words were out of his mouth before he could regret saying them.

"Before those woods, fighting you was the closest I had come to being scared. Losing Amy to you, well that was pretty scary too. I...hadn't considered her not...being there. With me."

Shadow rubbed his forehead and groaned, "I will say this _one last time_ blue hedgehog. She is yours. By her own choice. Don't let that go."

Emerald eyes met ruby. Sonic opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to perfect the right come back. In the end, he settled on the way he found most comfortable.

"Who can blame her for looking your way? You're basically just me in a tux."

It was small. It was barely visible had he not been looking so closely, but a hint of a smile crept in to the corner of Shadows mouth. With another quick flash he was gone and Sonic was left to his thoughts. He would sit there and work his mind out properly this time. Amy deserved that.

* * *

She had been fighting to open her eyes for hours, but finally Amy got both lids to cooperate. It was night time so there was very little light to scorch her iris, but all the same it took a few blinks to finally focus on her surroundings.

She was in a bed, but not her own. It was too hard on her back but as she tried to squirm she realised her arms were pinned. On one side she was hooked up to a drip, on the other was a cobalt blue hedgehog, snoring peacefully. She could feel his fingers knotted in to hers and she gave a quick squeeze.

Finally her eyes settled on the figure stood silently in the doorway.

"Staci?" Amy croaked, her throat dry as a bone.

The lilac bandicoot walked over and poured a glass of water from the jug by the bedside. She held it against Amy's lips, and her craving for liquid overpowered any concerns and she guzzled it down.

"Careful now Rosie, you're gonna choke yourself," Staci whispered, pulling the glass away, "you must be sweatin like a polar bear in a sauna under all them layers."

"Beats the cold," Amy replied with more ease this time, "has the weather...?"

"Bout average for this time of year. That is to say, bright and beautiful. Apart from the odd snowman clinging on for dear life, y'all wouldn't know what occurred."

Amy let out a whoosh of air, "Is everyone safe?"

Staci snorted, "All 'cept you. I aint never seen a blue rose before, but thanks for tryin ya best for me. Folks call me dumb but y'all take the biscuit."

Amy frowned at her, "I was trying to save the village."

Staci threw her arms in the air, "Oh lil Miss hero of the people. Your friends think you're dead and Shadow took a nasty hit saving your drowning ass but least y'all get to be a hero!"

Amy tried to retaliate but she was too weak, so she asked, "Why are you here?"

Her old enemy folded her arms tight. She pressed her lips tightly together and subconsciously shook her head. Amy watched as Staci walked over to the side Sonic was sleeping on and gently flick his ear.

"Y'all look like death warmed over and he still lays there like you're Cleopatra. I came here Rosie, to confess mah sins. Mind if I sit?"

Amy indicated to the bottom of the bed. She couldn't wait to hear this. She was almost tempted to wake Sonic up but he was still out for the count.

"Now Blue there, he is a good looking boy. And that Shadow? Oh girl the _dreams_ I have had about him could send me straight to the devil."

"A priest might be a better choice for this Stace."

"Belt up Pinkie. What I am sayin is, ya got them fightin over y'all. And I just could not get that. For sho' y'all cute in a very homely way, but look at me! I'm hotter than the Southern sun."

"If not a priest, maybe a hairdresser?"

"I stopped wantin you dead only recently Rosie, I can jus as easily switch back. I have spent a summer with all the boys y'all can imagine. Some far better looking than ole Blue there. Even if some were Perci's rejects, I was swimmin in dick."

Amy wrinkled her nose, "Oh you've blossomed in to such a lady."

"During my exile that YOU had a play in?" the bandicoot snapped. Sonic grunted but remained asleep. Amy bit her lip and nodded for her to carry on.

"Sadly for you, I was peachy with the situation. The boys, well don't they just love a damsel in distress. Why I do believe I am talkin to an expert in the matter?" Staci smiled at her.

"I will let that slide," Amy growled.

"I would tell them mah tragic lil story; about how mah whole village believed a lie and banished me! They would lavish me with attention sure...but by morning...well I was yesterdays news. Each time it happened, I would think of Blue."

"Sonic? Staci I know you liked him but..."

"I'm not here to make a claim Rosie girl. See, I fell in love with a boy, and for the first time I can recall, I think he was in love with me too. I..I had a chance of havin what you have."

Amy did not smile. There was a crack in Staci's voice, a voice trying to hide sorrow. She remained silent while the girl composed herself. Finally she carried on.

"Mah sister, well she taught me a wonderful word. 'Infatuation'. She said Ash, she said he was infatuated with me, not in love with me. Well I took that with a whole bucket o' salt. He never once looked at Perci, he only had eyes and ears and time for _me._ I gave my heart to that boy. I suddenly knew...I could understand jus how much I hurt y'all. In just weeks that boy became mah whole world, mah reason to wake up in the mornin'."

Had Amy been able to, she might have reached out to her old nemesis to offer a supportive hand, but all she had were words.

"Staci I never wanted you chased out of town. But to expose the truth would have exposed the lie. You know how this village idolises Sonic. If they caught wind that he had lied..."

"Ash stole the crystal."

Amy froze, "what?"

Staci looked her square in the eye. Tears were flowing freely down her flushed cheeks.

"Ya heard me. He told me they would pay the price for what they did me. I...I didn't think he meant it! I had hammed up how y'all treated me so much. He is smart ya see Rosie, like so so smart. I didn't think someone like that could love me over mah sister. He studies the weather...he knew that storm was comin' but he didn't try to warn y'all! He...took the crystal jus' before the weather got real bad."

She paused to take a breath. Amy could see her shoulders shake.

"He's a stoat ya see. Even if the weather turned nasty early he would be able to get out easy. He appeared at mah door...crystal in hand...told me y'all would learn a lesson."

"Staci, you..."

"I fell in love with a psycho Amy! I was so scared, I didn't know what to do! I hid the crystal under mah bed. I tried to call y'all, but by that time, it was too late. He heard me tryin to warn ya'll about the storm and he snapped. I managed to get away, I couldn't stay away knowin' what I knew. I got here as quick as I could, he made it so hard, but when I arrived all those soldiers were here. I hid, once it all calmed down out there, I came here."

Amy suddenly felt very weak again. Her throat had closed itself, but it was out of her own painful sorrow at Staci's story. After all this time the bandicoot had finally felt real love, and she thought she had received it in return. It broke Amy's heart. The years she had spent so jealous of this girl, the months she had spent hating her, but only a brief moment here and there did she try to understand her.

"If I hadn't told him such lies, this might never have happened. I put y'all in danger. I'm going to confess to the Mayor in the morning. Banishment is too easy a punishment. I gotta face up to what I done."

Staci didn't look back, but she stood up and flew from the room. Amy tried to raise herself but the effort overwhelmed her and she passed out. By the time she awoke, the sun was high in the sky and it was too late.

* * *

"I have to say, that was one of the more dramatic arrests I've seen. And I've seen a few."

"I'll have to take your word for it. I asked Knuckles but he used the word 'gunfire' too often for me to believe him."

"Gee Ew En. G.U.N was involved, not guns. He's lucky he's got that body or he'd be a lost cause."

Amy laughed, "Even more so around you Rouge. I think he's smitten."

The white bat waved her hand dismissively, "Oh I don't doubt. If he fancied that bandicoot then I must be a Goddess to him. Speaking of which, how is she?"

Amy brought her knees up and rested her chin on them, "Very quiet. There was a moment there where she was truly scared and I don't think she will forget it in a hurry. After you swooped in and revealed what that Ash guy had been doing, and what Staci had risked to get to us, the villagers welcomed her back. Crowd mentality is so fickle. I think Staci will blame herself forever."

Rouge chuckled, "Taking all that blame on herself. She fell for the wrong guy, we've all done it, haven't we?"

Amy scowled at her, "Don't push it."

The bat laughed even louder, "I'm just pulling on that skinny leg of yours sweetheart. For what it's worth I think you did Shadow some good. He's come out of his shell lately."

Amy tried to look nonchalant, "I take it he's still...out...there?"

Rouge nodded, "Alternative universe. That's our home. Or it's mine anyway, he's quite happy to jump back and forth. Of course being alternative rather than parallel means we are safe to stick around without this world being..."

Amy flicked some sand off her towel, "Destroyed blah blah science I know. Eggman would love you, for more than just the obvious two reasons?"

Rouge laughed loudly, "To think Shadow was sent here to keep an eye on all of you. GUN were off the mark about this world alright. At least with Staci's little psycho ex trying to kill you all, Shadow didn't have to feel his mission here had been wasted. Three years deciding if you were a danger to us and all he comes away with is the sniffles."

Amy nodded, "Now you know we are...mostly harmless...will you be leaving too?"

"One more morning of staring at the muscles on that echidna, and then yes I will be off," Rouge smirked, winking at Amy.

"We have a lot to thank you for I. Staci would be in prison, our crystal would still be in the hands of that Ash guy, and Shadow and I might have been buried in that cave for good."

"It was Shadow who stationed me to spy on Perci. Closest I could get to Staci without rousing suspicion. Of course, we didn't expect it to get to the stage it did."

Amy smiled, "Will he..will both of you be back?"

Rouge leaned her head back and breathed deeply, "Oh I'm certain of it. You can't imagine what it is like to find a world to feel safe in."

As the girls stared out at Tails, Sticks and Knuckles playing a very basic game of baseball further down the beach, Sonic sneaked up behind Amy and shook out the sand from his quills all over her.

"Ah Sonic! You idiot!," she screamed, feigning trying to pull away as he sat behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What are you hens clucking about?" he said, nuzzling Amy's shoulder.

Rouge pouted, "Oh, Amy here was just telling me about the size of your..."

"Rouge!" Amy squeaked.

Sonic just shrugged, "Don't be too disappointed you'll never see it in person. You'll just have to believe her."

"Don't encourage her!" Amy squealed even louder but she was drowned out by Rouge laughing deeply.

"You know you guys make this life seem very appealing," the gorgeous white bat sighed. She stood up and stretched out her impressive wings. As she walked away, she added, "and speaking of appealing, I'm about to go get this bikini very wet and clingy in front of that red hunk."

"I like her," Sonic moaned deeply as soon as Rouge was out of ear shot.

Amy dug him in the ribs, but she knew he was just teasing her. He kissed her neck and rested his chin on her shoulder. They both fell silent as they looked out over their corner of paradise. For the first time in a very long time they both felt secure about their lives. The world was at peace and the innocent no longer faced any guilt. They were bound to each other, much as they had been since the day they first locked eyes. Since the day he had saved her, the same day she proved she didn't necessarily need saving. From then on they had fought Eggman as team mates, as friends, and now lovers. But he hadn't attacked since the storm had hit. It was so quiet.

"Hey Ames?"

"Yes, Sonic?"

"Wanna go bother Eggman?"

She turned to him and kissed his cheek, "It's a date."


	23. Epilogue: Two Years Later

_The end of one, the start of another, a happy ending for all. Except maybe, one certain black hedgehog. Lets see if, in my new fic, he can have a happy ending too._

 _Sonic et al belong to Sega_

* * *

 **Two years later**

"What, what is it?" he asked, but she slapped a hand over his mouth. She indicated for him to follow her lead.

The both peaked carefully around the giant prop hiding them from sight. They could see Staci up ahead, in a rather tight embrace with Justin Beaver. His youthful appearance had ebbed away, and his new look and attitude left so many girls reeling. In the midst of screaming teenagers and celebrity rumours, it would take a personality as strong as Staci's to face that.

Justin and Staci had moulded each other in to the happier beings they were. Staci had found it hard to come to terms with falling in love with the psychotic Ash, and Justin wouldn't believe anyone could love the real him. In their desperation to close off the world around them they had found each other in the darkness.

Amy had known something more could be lurking, and the temptation to meddle had been intoxicating. She wanted to start over again with Staci, and Sonic had shattered Beavers image. So Amy had taken the time to get to know her one time enemy, and Sonic had coached Justin on how to be himself and have a successful career. Staci had then helped give Justin the confidence he needed to pursue a new musical career, eventually becoming his stage manager, and he had found her tragic story to be his muse. They inspired one another.

Of course his darker image had made his popularity explode, and for their part in his re-imagining Amy and Sonic and the guys, along with Staci, had been invited to the concerts he held all over their little world. The boys had even taken it upon themselves to help set up the show, but mostly because they got to stay backstage through the entire event once set up.

"I knew it," Amy whispered excitedly.

"He has been flirting with her like crazy," Sonic muttered back.

"I knew she had a bit of a crush on him but she swore she wouldn't act on it."

"With her reputation, is it any wonder?"

Amy pushed them back out of sight, pulling him down to her level by his scarf, "You listen here mister, she _likes_ this guy. I'm guessing she doesn't want to jeopardize her job by hooking up with the act."

"Okay okay," he said, holding his hands up, "I guess she has changed a bit in the past couple of years."

"She has," she sighed, genuinely feeling happy for her, "so, we never saw what we just saw, got it? We can't push them quicker than they want to go."

"Jeez are you going to be this demanding when we're married?"

He was smiling when he said it, and she was too. Kissing him softly she replied, "Of course."

"Well isn't this a mushy display? Is there something a touch more manly around here?"

They both turned to the familiar sultry voice and beamed.

* * *

He locked eyes with her, and she tip toed over to his hiding spot. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him until he thought he would pass out. It had been a while since he had been embraced in such a fashion. There was no resistance, no shame. She was still the same old Bud. When she pulled away she took a tight grip on one of his hands. He tried not to pay attention to it.

"When Rouge showed up I hoped you would be here too! She wouldn't tell me if you were with her and before I knew it she'd gone running off after Knuckles! He is going to be over the moon to see her again. Luckily he hasn't got Sticks hounding them this time. Okay I'm babbling," the pink hedgehog beamed, "don't you want to come back stage? It's not much fun out with the trucks."

Shadow smiled, "Then why are you here?"

Amy looked a little guilty, "I get bored. The guys are all still busy while the show is running. Besides, I get a clear view of the stars from back here."

He grinned at her, "Funny, that's why Rouge is back stage."

Amy laughed, "Yea we do seem to accumulate a few actors on the side of the stage. So full of themselves. It was a bit of a novelty at first but turns out, they aren't all that special. They keep barking at Sonic to fetch stuff, but he keeps getting orders wrong just to wind them up. Not sure he likes those who are better known than him."

"I see faker never changes," Shadow snorted.

"No. But you have. What's with the dye job?"

Shadow absent mindedly ran his hand down his quills. GUN had covered up the red streaks with black and flattened down the flick so they curled down in a smooth wave shape. His colouring was too unique and being easily identifiable was not helpful on spy missions.

"I'm under cover. Not here, back in the other world. We can't be away for too long, but this world is so peaceful, it's a relief sometimes."

She covered her mouth, trying to hide her laughter, "That's because you were the biggest threat. You actually do look like Sonics shadow now."

He punched her arm lightly, "That might be the idea."

"There's another Sonic? Are you tailing him? Does that mean he's done something bad? Or might he be in trouble?"

He gave her cheek a quick pinch to calm her down, "I can't speak about it Bud, not even to you. I just came to see how you are. How has _he_ been?"

She looked behind her, her brow slightly furrowed as she turned back, "Do you still worry about that...dark turn he took?"

"I worry about you facing that again."

She peeled her hand out of his and rested it on his chest, "He has his moments. Not of anger, he's just lost in his thoughts sometimes. I think he must see those woods, but when he does he scares himself and snaps out of it. Either way I don't need you to worry about me. You worry about this Other Sonic...wait, is there another me?"

He looked skyward, and she followed suit for a moment. No matter what she said, he would always be worrying about her. Not that she couldn't handle herself.

"How are you? I should start with that," he asked, looking back at her gentle face.

"I'm good. I'm off to study Ancient Languages at University in a few months time. Maybe decipher what is actually written in the caves back home."

Shadow nodded, "I'm glad you're doing what you love. How did faker take the news you were moving away for a while?"

She looked coyly at the ground before flashing her engagement ring.

Shadow wasn't surprised at the small jolt in his gut, but he was happy to see her happy all the same. She and Sonic shared a bond that had been tested more than once, and through it all it had proven strong. Whatever he had wanted at the time, he would never have achieved that with her.

"Congratulations," he muttered, flicking her nose playfully, "going to shackle yourself to the kitchen sink."

"Hey don't be like that. Sonic and I are the same as we ever were. Marriage just adds sugar on top. We'll be the same until we're old. Besides, I told him if he ever upsets me I'm going to ditch him and coming running to you."

He laughed once, "I don't doubt. However tonight is not the night for running away with me. I best go. I'll be back soon, I'm just in the middle of something right now."

"But..."

"Amy, are you out here?"

The pink hedgehog turned to see Sonic walking down the exit steps towards where she stood. She turned back to Shadow, but there was an empty space where he had stood. She knew his missions were dangerous from the little Rouge would spill, so these brief meetings were bittersweet. It seemed knowing that he was still alive was the most she would ever get out of him now.

That part of her life was closing, but she still had the best thing she could have hoped for. She ran over to Sonic and took his hand, happy to see the bright blue of his fur fighting against the black backdrop of the night.

"What are you doing back here?" he asked, "trying to escape that hideous music again?"

She smiled and leaned her head head against his chest, "Nothing really. Thought I saw something. I guess I'm just chasing shadows."


End file.
